Pubdate: Tue, 31 Jan 2006
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Australia Web)
Copyright: 2006 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Website: http://www.abc.net.au/
Author: John Stewart and Renata Gombac
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Schapelle+Corby

CORBY'S FATHER LINKED TO DRUG ACCUSED

Schapelle Corby's father had a close association dating back years
with a man accused of running a marijuana operation of significant
scale, ABC TV's 7.30 Report has revealed.

The man - who cannot be named for legal reasons - owned a farm off the
Bruce Highway in central Queensland that was raided in September 2004,
allegedly uncovering a well-established hydroponic cannabis-growing
operation.

Schapelle Corby's father, Michael Corby, owned the property next door
to the farm.

As well as the marijuana plants, police allegedly found five kilograms
of high-quality marijuana in vacuum-sealed plastic bags, along with
thousands of dollars in cash hidden throughout the property.

The raid took place a month before Schapelle Corby left Brisbane
Airport for Bali, where she was arrested and sentenced to jail for
importing 4.1 kilograms of marijuana in her boogie-board bag.

Documents obtained by the ABC's investigative unit show that Michael
Corby purchased the central Queensland property in 1998, two years
after his accused neighbour, a man in his 50s referred to as 'Tony',
bought his farm in 1996.

Victor Ferris has lived in the central Queensland town for 67 years.
He owns a property next door to the accused and 100 metres from Mr
Corby's place.

He says that Mr Corby and his neighbour spent a lot of time together
and that Mr Corby allowed the man to graze cattle on his property.

Mr Ferris says he was not surprised to hear that 'Tony' had been
charged with growing hydroponic marijuana.

"No, that doesn't surprise me. It was just news to me, it was news to
me, but it doesn't surprise me," he said.

'Pretty friendly'

The central Queensland town is not the first place 'Tony' and Mr Corby
have been neighbours.

The 1995 Queensland electoral roll shows that before they moved to
these adjoining farms, both men lived next door to each other in two
houses in the mining town of Middlemount in central Queensland.

Miner and local resident Michael Stothard recalls both men living
directly opposite him.

"Tony lived right next door. Mick lived in [number] 14 and Tony lived
in [number] 16," he said.

Local residents say the two men lived next door to each other for
several years and both worked at the German Creek Mine. Mr Corby
worked in the machinery workshop while his neighbour was employed as a
tyre changer.

"Tony and Mick associated with each other all the time," Mr Stothard
said. "They lived next door to each other and worked at the open cut
together, so yes, they were pretty friendly."

Middlemount residents say Schapelle Corby also lived there with her
father as a teenager.

Both men left Middlemount late in the 1990s and moved to the isolated
central Queensland farms.

"They left about the same time together because they both worked at
the open-cut and they sort of left about roughly the same time. I'm
not sure who went first," Mr Stothard said.

A check of land titles shows that Mr Corby bought his property in
1998, two years after his neighbour moved to the area in 1996.

In other words, Mr Corby followed his neighbour 500 kilometres south.
Nearby residents say that Mr Corby lived there for two years before
moving to the Gold Coast in 2000, opting to be closer to his family
while he underwent treatment for cancer.

The police raid on his neighbour's property took place four years
later in 2004. When the bust happened, the police did not know who
owned the property next door and the Corby name was never associated
with it.

Forensic scientists have not yet tested the cannabis found inside
Schapelle Corby's boogie board bag, saying it could not be done
without a comparative sample. The origins of the drugs remain a mystery.

Forensic testing

Sources close to the AFP who have viewed photographs of the cannabis
found inside Schapelle Corby's boogie-board bag support the view that
it is most likely to be hydroponically grown.

Simon Gilmore, a forensic researcher who has been working with the
Australian Federal Police on cannabis DNA identification, says two
samples of marijuana could be DNA matched.

"There are a couple of conditions that would have to be met. As I
mentioned before you need a comparison sample," he said.

"You may have a sample from the cannabis that was seized in Bali and
then if you suspected it came from a particular individual, if they
had some cannabis in their possession, you would be able to do a DNA
comparison of that cannabis with the cannabis seized in Bali."

But a DNA comparison is unlikely to happen. The Australian Federal
Police has told the ABC's investigative unit that when the AFP offered
to forensically test Schapelle Corby's boogie-board bag and its
contents, her lawyers rejected the offer.

When the Australian Federal Police explained to Schapelle Corby's
lawyers that any result from the testing for fingerprints inside the
bag or DNA testing of the marijuana would also be passed on to the
Indonesian police, her lawyers declined the offer to carry out the
tests.

The ABC approached the AFP to ask if they were investigating the
relationship between Mr Corby and the neighbour accused of cultivating
a substantial amount of cannabis, and whether this had any connection
to Schapelle Corby's case.

The AFP declined to comment, saying it is a matter for the Queensland
Police.

The Queensland Police said: "Unfortunately, it's not possible to
provide information on individuals without appropriate lawful reason.
There was no other person connected with the charges which are subject
to the upcoming court matters. As these matters are before the court,
it is not appropriate to comment further."

The relationship between Mr Corby and his neighbour is not evidence he
nor anyone else in the family is involved with illicit drugs.
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