Suspected drug mule Cassie Sainsbury, 22, has been told that unless she names who allegedly supplied her with almost 6kg of cocaine, she could face 30 years in Colombian prison .
Cassie now has a huge choice to make, with prosecutors believing they have a “ very strong” case against her. Cassie would have to supply vital details to authorities under a mooted prosecution plea deal. This move would mean she’d have to go under witness protection to safeguard her against retribution from drug cartel.
Colombian authorities ultimately want to know who supplied the drugs found concealed in Cassie’s luggage. They are also interested to find out who bought the mystery ticket on her behalf from Hong Kong to Colombia – this is what alerted authorities to the young woman from Adelaide in the first place.
The US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) contacted Colombian after her plane ticket home to Australia via London was purchased last minute by an ‘unknown party’ in Hong Kong.
In the lead up to her latest court hearing, Cassie has launched a fresh appeal for cash from taxpayers, fearing she won’t be given a fair trial by the Colombian system.
Her South American legal team is attempting to negotiate a potential prosecution peal deal, and her Bogota-based lawyer Orlando Herran says they’re in desperate need of funding from the Australian Government.
Cassie and fiance, Scott Broadbridge
However, her Adelaide-based uncle, who Sainsbury claimed she worked for after she was busted with 5.8kg of cocaine, doesn’t think she should get a cent.
“I don’t understand why (we’d be) funding a drug runner overseas — no way,” Neil Sainsbury told The Advertiser.
“I’m a taxpayer. I would hate to think my dollar is going over there.
“Australian taxpayers’ money shouldn’t be funding any [drug runners], the Bali Nine, any of them — they get what they deserve.”
The 51-year-old has been a prominent figure in the scandal since he debunked his niece’s claims she was in Bogota on a business trip for his cleaning company.
Mr Sainsbury quickly said he had never owned such a business nor had he employed her in any capacity.
The ex-Adelaide personal trainer has been in a maximum security El Buen Pastor women’s prison since April 11.
After more than a month behind bars at the El Buen Pastor prison in Bogota, Cassie has been accused of “pulling puppy eyes for the cameras” by a fellow inmate.
“Cassie is causing problems,” the prisoner explained to News Corp.
“She’s saying that people are robbing her, extorting her and abusing her. If someone stole something at the beginning, that’s normal, it’s about power. But it’s not happening anymore and she’s saying those things because she wants attention.”
In May, her fiancé revealed that the accused drug smuggler was “lured” into danger by a group of fellow Australians.
Scott Broadbridge, 23, added that he’d seen payments from a “mystery man” behind the cocaine deal.
