Schapelle Corby’s bid for parole has overcome a key bureaucratic hurdle, with the governor of Bali’s Kerobokan prison confirming he has received a revised letter from Australian diplomats guaranteeing her good behaviour.
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The document, which was originally sent in February but rejected because it wasn’t written on Australian Embassy letterhead, has also reached the Director-General of Corrections in Jakarta, according to the prison’s governor.
“A few days ago, we received the letter from the Australian consulate in Bali,” prison governor Farid Junaedi told media at Christmas event organized for inmates and their families at the notorious prison.
“The director general of corrections in Jakarta also got the letter.”
Corby’s application for parole on drug smuggling charges three years before she is eligible for release comes on the back of law changes which mean time served on parole may also now be counted toward the total sentence.
Even so, how close Corby is to securing parole is unclear.
The Director General of Corrections will now request confirmation from his immigration department counterpart that Corby can remain in Indonesia effectively without a visa, while she serves the remainder of sentence outside of prison.
Final approval for her release then rests with the minister of justice and human rights, Amir Syamsuddin.
His decision must then be made in writing to prison governor.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs said earlier this month that it had been waiting for advice from Indonesian authorities on the content of the letter of guarantee.
