Indonesia, Australia mulling prisoner swap deal

Indonesia may agree to a prisoner swap that would allow convicted Australian drug smuggler Schapelle Corby to serve time in her homeland, but any deal is months away, the website of English-languague daily Jakarta Post quoted an Australian legislator as saying here Tuesday.

Australian Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade Bruce Billson said after talks in Jakarta with Indonesian officials that Corby could be repatriated along with 14 other Australians if the deal goes ahead.

The agreement, which would also result in the transfer of 30 Indonesians, could help cool tempers in Australia, where there has been a loud outcry at Corby's plight, sparking threats against Indonesia's diplomatic missions.

"It is too early to pre-empt what the nature of that agreement may be, but the discussions are proceeding and we think that a bilateral prisoners exchange arrangement is in the interests of both Indonesia and Australia," Billson said.

The possibility of an exchange treaty was floated at the height of Corby's trial for smuggling 4.1 kilograms of marijuana onto the resort island of Bali -- a crime for which she was sentenced to 20 years.

Billson said he held "brief" talks with Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda on the Corby case on Tuesday.

"At this stage it is a discussion between officials to see how to best carry forward our shared hope of having a prisoner exchange agreement into the earliest opportunity".

"I would not suggest it would take years but it would take a good number of months," said Billson.

Source: Xinhua