Schapelle Corby has Bali gaol sentence slashed

Schapelle Corby could be on parole as soon as August.

By Samuel Gates

Convicted drug smuggler, Schapelle Corby could soon be freed from her Bali gaol after her sentence was cut by five years yesterday.

Corby could be eligible for parole as early as August after she was granted clemency from Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

A letter from the Indonesian government approving her clemency application arrived at Kerobokan Prison yesterday afternoon.

Corby has called her Kerobokan Prison cell home since 2005 but will still not be able to return to Australia until her parole is served.

“You must have some connection, some family in Indonesia or you don’t get parole,” a source close to the Corby family told the Daily Telegraph.

Corby will instead live with her sister Mercedes and her Indonesian husband in their compound near the popular tourist town, Kuta.

The 34-year-old already had two years cut off her 20-year sentence because of good behaviour.

Her clemency application was based on the grounds of mental illness.

Australian Foreign Minister, Bob Carr praised the Indonesian government’s actions. He told the Daily Telegraph that, “The Australian government has consistently supported Ms Corby’s application for clemency on humanitarian grounds.”

Corby was originally arrested in 2005 for attempting to smuggle 4.1kg of Marijuana into Bali in a body-board bag.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012 at 11:30 am. It is filed under Just In, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.