Schapelle Corby raid: AFP admits it 'jumped the gun' over Channel Seven search warrant

7th April 2014
ABC

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has admitted it "jumped the gun" when it applied for a search warrant on the Seven Network.

The AFP raided the offices in February to determine whether convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby had sold her story to the network.

At the time, officers said the raids were required to obtain documents relating to the matter which were not provided to investigators by Channel Seven.

Last month, the Federal Court ruled the search warrants invalid and the AFP has since apologised and dropped the proceeds of crime investigation.

Assistant Commissioner Ramzi Jabbour has told a Senate hearing, officers applied for the warrant prematurely.

"I make no excuses for the actions of some of our officers," he said.

"In my view, this was less than optimal whereby we have obtained - gone to a magistrate to obtain - a warrant before the expiration of the extended period of time provided to Channel Seven to comply with the production order."

The AFP has previously said word processing errors were to blame for mistakes in the original warrant and a review of the matter would be conducted.

Corby left Bali's notorious Kerobokan prison on parole in February, after serving nine years of a 20-year sentence for drug smuggling.

Schapelle Corby: Federal Court quashes warrants for AFP raid on Seven

4th April 2014
ABC

The Federal Court has quashed warrants obtained by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) during its Schapelle Corby proceeds of crime investigation.

The warrants were used to search the Sydney offices of Channel Seven and its lawyers on February 18, in a quest to find out whether Corby had sold her story.

But the AFP later apologised for a document attached to the warrants, which wrongly implied an offence may have been committed by those named within.

It has since dropped the investigation, and no longer holds documents and computers seized during the searches.

The Federal Court has now ruled the warrants invalid.

It will hear arguments about costs and the return of the property at a later date.

Corby left Bali's notorious Kerobokan prison on February 10, after serving nine years of a 20-year sentence for drug smuggling.

Channel Seven said it agreed to cover costs for Corby's accommodation, transport and security after she was released.

The TV network also said it had paid her sister Mercedes about $20,000 to help arrange an interview with Corby.

That was before Indonesian authorities stated publicly that any paid interview would be a serious breach of Corby's parole conditions and could land her back in jail.

Instead, Mercedes Corby was interviewed by Channel Seven and later apologised for comments she made suggesting her sister had been "set up", which sparked anger from Indonesian authorities.