“We did not find any violation committed by Corby regarding her parole,” Sunar Agus, head of the prison division at the Bali Justice and Human Rights Office told local daily, the Jakarta Globe.
The exclusive interview with Australian television network Channel Seven – in which Mercedes insisted her sister was innocent – has been viewed as a slap in the face to the Indonesian government, which faced strong criticism for granting Corby parole this February.
Mercedes Corby has since offered an apology to the government, saying she did not intend to insult Indonesia.
Mercedes Corby. (AAP)
But her contrition failed to stop the Indonesian Justice Ministry from threatening to revoke parole for the 36-year-old Gold Coast woman.
Sunar Agus said his team in Bali had reviewed the interview aired on Channel Seven’s Sunday Night program and the recommendations had been sent to ministry for a final decision.
Justice Minister faced with 'complex decision'
Justice Minister Amir Syamsuddin previously said the recommendation would be crucial to his decision, but has also admitted the Corby family is testing his patience. Ultimately, he has the final say.
Last week, Mr Syamsuddin said the Corby family had underestimated the pressure the ministry faced when granting the convicted Australian drug trafficker parole.
Hikmahanto Juwana, a professor of law at the University of Indonesia, says there are several reasons the minister might decide to disregard the recommendations from the officials in Bali.
The first concern is over payment for the interview, which if proven would contravene Indonesian law.
"The money would have to go through the state," said Juwana, adding the 2009 regulation would apply to any payment made to Schapelle or any other member of the Corby family.
"A convicted person cannot keep the money. They can be paid by the state but the money has to go through the state first."
Juwana also said that in the lead up to the parliamentary elections this April the Justice Minister, who is running for a seat in the house of representatives, is facing mounting political pressure.
"There is going to be a parliamentary election and of course politics comes into the fore because many will say that the current government is very weak in dealing with Corby’s case," he said. "There is public anger and uproar that Corby got special treatment."
Indonesian government under growing pressure to revoke parole
Corby, a former beauty school student, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after she was caught with 4.1 kilograms of marijuana at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport in 2004.
The Australian woman was granted a five-year presidential remission and annual sentence cuts that saw her released on parole this February 10, after serving less than half of her original sentence.
Indonesian legislators, anti-narcotics groups and the Indonesian media have criticised the government for being too lenient and speculated that her release was part of a back-door political deal.
At the time of her release, the ministry downplayed suggestions that Corby’s release was politically motivated.
But now it is under increasing pressure, particularly after the minister warned the Corby family the planned interview could jeopardise Schapelle’s parole and they proceeded regardless.
Corby was banned from doing the interview herself but the exclusive footage showed her enjoying her first moments of freedom in a luxury Bali villa.
The Justice Minister is expected to make a decision regarding Corby’s parole status as early as this week, but may hold out until after the April 9 elections.
Justice Ministry spokesperson Goncang Raharjo said Tuesday the ministry is evaluating the case and waiting for additional advice from the Bali corrections board.
