Now that Bali Nine ringleader Andrew Chan has been executed and was laid to rest with a funeral service on Friday, a drug mule from the same smuggling group has reportedly retracted his decade-long claims that Chan threatened his life.
Scott Rush said last week that he was actually never threatened by Chan to participate in the smuggling operation, even though he alleged so in court in 2005, according to the Australian.
“I lied in court,” Rush said from Karangasem jail in East Bali, as quoted by the Australian. “I wrote a letter (later) to try and clear Andrew’s name and say that I wasn’t threatened by him.
“I did the wrong thing because I bore false witness against him. Even till now, I feel guilty about it. I always did. I wrote in the letter that at no time did either of those guys threaten me.’’
Like Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, Rush, was also previously given the death penalty for his role in the Bali Nine, but lucky for him, got it commuted to a life sentence in 2011.
Rush said his letter, explaining that neither Chan nor Sukumaran threatened him, was tossed aside when it was sent to Jakarta in 2006.
“They basically threw it out — I gave it to Myu to give it to who he pleased because he wanted his name on it, too.’’
In the two weeks leading up the the men’s executions, Rush reportedly had extreme depression and retreated in his cell to avoid interacting with other prisoners. He even avoided TV coverage.
“It was overwhelming,’’ he said. “It’s been on my mind a lot. It makes me feel sick … Why do they deserve to be killed?”
Photo: AFP
