After spending more than nine years behind bars in Indonesia, authorities granted an alleged Australian drug smuggler parole on Friday, AFP reported.
In 2004, Schapelle Corby, 36, was caught trying to smuggle marijuana into Bali. During the investigation, she insisted that the nine pounds discovered in one of her bag's was planted, but she was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2005.
Though she'll be released from jail soon, her sentence does not end officially until 2016, and one year of probation is required after her sentence ends, so she will not be returning to Australia for another three years.
Farid Junaidi, the governor of Kerobokan prison on the resort island where Corby is in custody, said that she would not be set free until next week due to procedure.
"In this case, even if we get the papers from Jakarta tomorrow (Saturday), we cannot start the process until Monday morning at the earliest," he told reporters at the prison.
Corby will live with her sister, Mercedes, in Bali once she is released. She will be able to travel throughout the country, but only after being given permission by parole authorities.
According to AFP, Corby's parole was expected to happen soon, prompting dozens of Australian reporters to travel to Indonesia; Australia's Channel Seven reportedly sent 17 staff members to cover the story.
There is already a huge bidding war for her first television interview since her imprisonment -- AFP reported that some networks have offered up to $2.7 million.
