Ron Bakir - Corby's "White Knight"

Corby's "White Knight"

In 2005, Bakir gained attention again as Schapelle Corby's "white knight" in helping her during her drug smuggling trial. The amount of financial support he gave Corby and his exact role in her defence of drug charges against her have never been revealed. Corby's mother said she wished Bakir would "butt out" of Corby's life. Corby's Queen's Counsel (QC) also told Bakir to "zip his lips", saying that his "limited financial advice" did not entitle him to comment on her behalf.

Ron Bakir retained the services of an Australian law firm (Hoolihans) to investigate where the drugs came from. Given the secrecy surrounding the Australian government's decision to fund the Indonesian lawyers defending Corby at the court, many people assumed that Bakir was also paying their fees. In practice, no one knows whether Bakir actually paid Hoolihans or the Indonesian lawyers, although he offered to publicise documentation.

Bakir claims to have no relationship to Corby other than being from the same city. He reportedly decided to help fund Corby's defence because he believed that a miscarriage of justice could occur if she were not properly represented. Bakir pledged A$100,000 towards the A$1,000,000 reward fund, although it is not clear that this money will ever have to be paid (the full reward was never raised).

Before the prosecution announced their sentencing recommendation, Bakir accused the prosecution team (chief prosecutor Ida Bagus Wiswantanu) of seeking a bribe to reduce the requested sentence. The prosecution team and the Indonesian government vehemently denied that this had occurred. Corby's legal team openly admitted their anger at Bakir making these statements before the sentencing recommendation, fearing that it might have encouraged the prosecution to seek a more severe penalty. Corby sacked her main defence lawyer, Lily Lubis, and case coordinator Vasu in July 2005, after Australian lawyer Trowell informed the media that the defence team asked him to request A$500,000 from the Australian government, money meant to bribe the judges of the appeal court.

Bakir registered a company titled Schapelle Corby Pty Ltd, causing others to raise doubts as to his motives. He subsequently deregistered the company. Corby's father also expressed his concerns about the true intentions of Bakir, and Corby's mother was quoted as saying: "We didn't ask him to come on board, we didn't know him from a bar of soap, and now it seems like he's trying to profit from Schapelle's misery" and "I do think he's got ulterior motives."

Many creditors of Mr Bakir's previous businesses questioned his ability to fund Corby's defence. Corby's mother maintained that Bakir asked her to pay him back eventually.

Bakir cut ties with the Schapelle Corby case on 24 June 2005 after Corby wrote a letter sacking her lawyers as well as Ron Bakir and Robin Tampoe. By 22 July 2005 Bakir deregistered both Schapelle Corby Pty Ltd and www.schapellecorby.com.au