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Corby circus becomes tightrope act

Corby circus becomes tightrope act

The Schapelle Corby circus has this week gone from full-blown hoopla to a delicate tightrope act.

One of Australia's most famous ex-cons, Corby has been living in the lap of luxury since being paroled from her cramped Bali jail cell on Monday.

It was, as the headline on her former local paper The Courier-Mail called it, a "freak show".

Her face draped in fabric to protect her exclusive deal, Corby was mobbed, then tailed, by an armada of cameramen on motorbikes as she made her way from the jail.

The media at first camped outside the Petitenget spa where she's staying, but now, the bulk have moved on.


Even if audiences were still interested, with the Corbys in lockdown, there would be little to report anyway.

Presumably, the Seven Network is footing the bill for Corby and her entourage to stay hidden in the complex.

But there are now reports Head of the Bali parole board, Ketut Artha, will be urging Corby to leave the Sentosa Smeinkyak villas.

"There is actually no rule that has been violated by living at the villa. But as Corby has been in the public spotlight we suggest she does not stay at the luxury villa," he said yesterday.

According to Channel Seven's would-be interviewer, Mike Willesee, who is also staying there, they're giving Corby time to adjust to life outside after nine years.

But as they gently woo the 36-year-old, she must also be trying to gauge whether telling her version of events is a good idea at all.

Having spent the past nine years insisting she was innocent of smuggling 4.2kg of cannabis into Bali, she is unlikely to change her story now.

The 36-year-old must be wondering how much she can say about her ordeal in Kerobokan jail without being hauled back there.

Mid-week, parole authorities began debating too whether the interview was wise, particularly if Corby used it as a platform to be critical of the justice system.

Parole boss Artha hinted there could be some topics that would be "fatal" to her parole.

But corrections official Sunar Agus believed it was "her right" to talk, even if she was critical of Indonesia's laws.

On Thursday, Mercedes Corby released a statement in English and imperfect Indonesian to allay concerns in both countries about the rumoured $3 million deal.

"The sums being reported are ridiculous," she said, adding that Corby would first flag any interview with parole officers.

But by Thursday night, the tell-all talk looked in serious doubt.

The deputy to the minister who granted Corby's parole, Denny Indrayana, said they could just as easily take it back if there was a breach of the conditions.

"Because the interview could cause a polemic and it can cause unease in the community, as stipulated in the parole rule. If it happened, the parole possibly could be revoked,” Mr Indrayana said.

Among them is a clause that says Corby won't disturb the public peace, and in the view of the minister, an interview is likely to overstep the mark.

On Corby's possible windfall, Australians and Indonesians are united.

In Australia, a News Corp poll of almost 60,000 readers this week found 84.82 per cent didn't want Corby to be paid for any interviews.

Polls also show how the ongoing Corby circus has made people cynical.

Fairfax Media reports that in June 2005, less than a week after the guilty verdict, 51 per cent of Australians believed Corby was not guilty, a Morgan poll found.

By August 2010, only one in 10 respondents believed Corby was innocent when polled by Nielsen.

In Indonesia, people are mystified about why so much money and attention would be spent on a woman who was convicted of a serious crime.

Outside Kerobokan prison last week, some local reporters awaiting news of Corby's parole were pulled aside by a visitor wondering what could inspire such a huge fuss.

When told they were waiting for Corby, the bewildered reply came: "Who is Corby?"

The reporters erupted in laughter.

If Corby is stopped from telling her side of the story, we'll have to wait until 2017 to find out, when her reduced sentence would have ended.

That is, if we still care by then.