WORLD: Schapelle Corby on verge of release

Schapelle Corby could be out of Kerobokan prison as early next week.

Indonesian justice minister Amir Syamsuddin told reporters on Wednesday that, “God willing”, he hoped to read and sign her parole documents before the end of this week.

Assuming they recommend her release on parole, the documents would then need to make their way to Bali, through the Corrections department, to the Kerobokan prison governor.

TV crews are already assembling in Denpasar for what they are expecting to be one of the media events of the year, when the convicted drug smuggler, who was caught in October 2004 and jailed for 20 years in April 2005, sees the outside of prison for the first time.

She was granted five years off her sentence in 2012.

“Her application has been [processed] at the Corrections department, and what’s left to do is my assessment, which I promise will be done in three days time, God willing,” Mr Amir said.

“There are 1700 cases and Corby is included within those cases. Corby doesn’t get special treatment. As long as she follows the rules and it’s in accordance with the Corrections recommendation, she will get her rights.

“I will finish doing the assessment, and, again, there is no special treatment for Corby … everybody should have justice. So I promise, God willing, that it will be done before the end of this week.”

Mr Amir has previously said that he would approve the parole application if all the documents were in order.

He was sent the package relating to Corby late last week or early this week, but there is still no assurance that the Corrections department has found in favour of her parole bid.

Her application has been delayed at the departmental level since October as bureaucrats demanded more documents.