‘Ballpark’ offer was $500,000 but ‘all you’ve got is a whole lot of failed negotiations’
The Seven network has denied it has an agreement for an exclusive interview with Schapelle Corby’s family after federal police raided its offices in Sydney as part of an investigation into proceeds of crime.
The network’s commercial director, Bruce McWilliam, said the Corby family had declined to sign documents sent to them to secure a deal.
“The actual fact is there isn’t an agreement reached yet,” McWilliam said after the raid on Tuesday morning.
“All you’ve got is a whole lot of failed negotiations, effectively. There were attempts at sending stuff to sign but they never ended up signing them.”
A Seven source said the Corby family had declined to sign any financial agreement with Seven because they were “concerned about the proceeds of crime legislation”.
Seven sources say the ballpark figure offered to the Corbys was less than $500,000 for an exclusive Sunday Night TV and New Idea magazine interview with Schapelle Corby but no money ever changed hands.
The $2m to $3m figure was media speculation fuelled by rival networks, sources said.
More than 20 federal police officers stormed the Seven Network’s offices at Jones Bay, Pyrmont, at 8.55am on Tuesday as part of an investigation into proceeds of crime derived by Corby.
Officers also raided the headquarters of New Idea magazine in Eveleigh.
The police got the location of Sunday Night’s production offices wrong and turned up at an old address in Paddington, a staffer said.
They were believed to be heading to Martin Place to search the Seven offices there too.
McWilliam told Guardian Australia that last week the AFP served a standard production order under the Proceeds of Crime Act. “We, through our solicitors, gave them all the documents they asked for in response to their order,” he said.
“Then they asked for some other stuff that wasn’t in their notice and we gave them that as well.
“We have given them all the documents. They served a production order on us and they don’t believe we have given them all the documents. I think that’s the thrust of it.”
Seven News filmed the raid despite police asking them to put the cameras down. McWilliam can be seen talking to the officers in the footage.
Speaking to Guardian Australia as the police searched his computer, McWilliam said: “Now they are coming in to look through the accounts payment register and everything else to see where the missing $3m is.
“We never agreed to pay anything like $3m. It’s a massive exaggeration. You could buy the whole Schapelle Corby documentary for less than that.
“Over 20 of them turned up today. They are in my office now. I didn’t even have a chance to tidy it up. I asked them if I could tidy up and they didn’t like it at all.”
McWilliam confirmed he had called a cabinet minister but said it was not true that the government had apologised for the raid, as reported.
The minister’s office “didn’t actually apologise”. “The reaction was ‘We are sorry this happened’ rather than we hereby apologise.
“I feel they have acted very aggressively and unnecessarily,” McWilliam said.
The federal police confirmed the raid. “The AFP can confirm it has executed a number of search warrants in Sydney in relation to an ongoing Proceeds of Crime Act matter,” a spokesman said.
“As this matter is ongoing, it is not appropriate for the AFP to comment any further.”
Since 2003, federal authorities have had the power to confiscate literary funds derived from criminal activities.
Queensland’s attorney general, Jarrod Bleijie, conceded on Friday that the Queensland state government would be powerless to confiscate any money Corby earned from selling her story.
“Following legal advice, the state is not in a position to pursue the matter further but we would provide any support to the federal government if it was able and chose to do so,” Bleijie said.
Indonesian authorities have warned Corby it would be “stupid” to speak to the media, suggesting any interviews could see her parole revoked.
A spokesman for the attorney general, George Brandis, said: “The government was advised this morning that the AFP has executed a number of search warrants in Sydney in relation to an ongoing Proceeds of Crime Act investigation. The decision was made independently of government. As this investigation is ongoing, it is not appropriate to comment further.”
Veteran Seven journalist Mike Willesee, who was set to interview Corby in Bali, has also said the amount she was offered was far less than the reported $2m.
“The first thing I want to say about the Australian federal police raid is that it will finally nail the lie of the $2m payment that’s been repeated and repeated in the Australian media,” Willesee reportedly said after the raid on Tuesday.
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