Corby lawyer furious over judge bribe claim

DENPASAR - Schapelle Corby's new Indonesian lawyer has threatened to quit after her Australian QC claimed there had been a plan by the Indonesian defence team to bribe the judges overseeing her appeal.

A furious Hotman Paris Hutapea, the Jakarta lawyer the Corby family is pinning its hopes on, said he was afraid the report in the West Australian could ruin her chances of having a 20-year jail term for drug smuggling quashed.

"I am considering resigning because the Australians are killing the case," he said. "Usually in my experience, if there is a publication like that - and in fact it is not true - then the action of the judge is to prove to the public that he didn't receive anything by issuing a tougher decision."

Hutapea said he was extremely angry with Mark Trowell, one of two Perth QCs asked by the Australian Government to help Corby's appeal.

"He has called five times today. But I'm not picking up the phone because I'm still angry."

The West Australian said Trowell and fellow Perth lawyer Phillip Laskaris were initially sounded out about a bribe over dinner in Bali three weeks ago with an adviser to Corby's defence team, Vasu Rasiah, and Corby's Bali lawyer, Lily Lubis.

The paper said Corby's Indonesian lawyers also requested in a written document that A$500,000 ($548,000) be forwarded to them from the Australian Government for "lobbying".

Trowell told the paper that when the approach was first made, he thought it was a joke.

"I kept pushing them to tell me what they saw as the best grounds of appeal.

"Vasu said this: 'Forget the merits of the appeal, all you have to do is put in the appeal and if you have got money to bribe the judges, you win the appeal'."

The West Australian said Rasiah had admitted making a written request for A$500,000 but he denied it was for bribes. He said the money was for a public relations campaign in Indonesia.

The suggestions of bribery came after Corby supporter Ron Bakir denied separate allegations that he had asked her to repay him A$500,000 in expenses.

- AAP