MICHELLE LESLIE STORY 
Lies and bribes what she had to do to win her freedom
By Mark Forbes
The Sydney Morning Herald
November 26, 2005
More than A$600,000 had to be paid to secure the release of Michelle Leslie.
More than A$100,000 in bribes was distributed by Leslie's lawyers.
Another US$20,000 was offered to the Bali Police Chief but was reported to have been rejected.
Members of the Drug Squad had demanded for US$400,000 to ensure leslie's sentence was only three months.
Leslie told the press conference that her parents had mortgage their house and spent their life savings to bring her home.
"I'd always expected that if I got free I'd be able to tell what had really happened. But now that I'm back here I still don't believe it's safe for me to do so because there's still a number of other young Australians in Indonesian jails, and I simply won't take the risk of making it worse for them that it already is," Leslie said.
An investigation by the Herald has uncovered bribes paid by the Leslie camp and calls into question the core planks of the defence she mounted publicly and in court. It reveals the extremes to which she had to go to win swift release from a Bali prison after being arrested with two ecstasy pills in August.
Through interviews with police, sources within Leslie's camp, and friends and associates of the model, the Herald has established that these key pillars of Leslie's defence were concoctions devised as she and her advisers tried to navigate their way through the Indonesian justice system.
However, Leslie legal team strongly denied the allegation of bribery. Her solicitor, Ross Hill, described reports that as much as $100,000 was spent on bribes as "fictitious".
A spokesman for Leslie, Sean Mulcahy, said money had been sent from Australia to pay legal bills only, and the bulk of that came from her father, Albert. Some was also provided by her boyfriend, Scott Sutton.
Remember, money does buy freedom, irrespective how you view it. The truth is painful and pragmatism reliefs pain.
Lies and bribes what she had to do to win her freedom
By Mark Forbes
The Sydney Morning Herald
November 26, 2005
More than A$600,000 had to be paid to secure the release of Michelle Leslie.
More than A$100,000 in bribes was distributed by Leslie's lawyers.
Another US$20,000 was offered to the Bali Police Chief but was reported to have been rejected.
Members of the Drug Squad had demanded for US$400,000 to ensure leslie's sentence was only three months.
Leslie told the press conference that her parents had mortgage their house and spent their life savings to bring her home.
"I'd always expected that if I got free I'd be able to tell what had really happened. But now that I'm back here I still don't believe it's safe for me to do so because there's still a number of other young Australians in Indonesian jails, and I simply won't take the risk of making it worse for them that it already is," Leslie said.
An investigation by the Herald has uncovered bribes paid by the Leslie camp and calls into question the core planks of the defence she mounted publicly and in court. It reveals the extremes to which she had to go to win swift release from a Bali prison after being arrested with two ecstasy pills in August.
Through interviews with police, sources within Leslie's camp, and friends and associates of the model, the Herald has established that these key pillars of Leslie's defence were concoctions devised as she and her advisers tried to navigate their way through the Indonesian justice system.
However, Leslie legal team strongly denied the allegation of bribery. Her solicitor, Ross Hill, described reports that as much as $100,000 was spent on bribes as "fictitious".
A spokesman for Leslie, Sean Mulcahy, said money had been sent from Australia to pay legal bills only, and the bulk of that came from her father, Albert. Some was also provided by her boyfriend, Scott Sutton.
Remember, money does buy freedom, irrespective how you view it. The truth is painful and pragmatism reliefs pain.
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