05.47 pm, Wednesday February 10 2010

Leslie media deal sparks outrage

08:00 AEST Mon Nov 21 2005
AAP
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A furore has erupted over whether Australian model Michelle Leslie should profit from her ordeal in a Bali prison as media outlets scramble to secure an exclusive for her story.

The 24-year-old flew to Singapore on Saturday after being released from Bali’s Kerobokan prison following her conviction for drug use.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports one magazine has already made Leslie an offer of $80,000, while other offers are coming in from Australia, Asia, Europe and the US.

However her spokesman, Sean Mulcahy told the Nine Network's Today that reports of a lucrative deal are grossly exaggerated.

"There's been a lot of reports about the deal, for the story being sold for six hundred thousand, a million, we haven't done any deals with anybody as yet," he said.

Justice Minister Chris Ellison is leading calls for the model not to profit from her conviction but Mr Mulcahy, the full story is yet to be revealed.

"With all due respect to the Minister he doesn't know anything about this matter, he’s only quoting the law and I wouldn't expect him to do anything less but there are issues that we need to deal with and we'll work through those and at some point in the near future she will tell all."

Leslie is also due to meet with lawyers in Singapore and complete some unfinished business with the woman she blames for her three months in jail, a friend called Mia.

The Australian newspaper reports Mia, whose full name is Siti Namira, is the daughter of a prominent Indonesian and the source of the two ecstasy tablets.

The newspaper quotes a member of Leslie's defence team, Namira, who claims Mia put the ecstasy tablets in the model's bag, allegedly part of a much larger stash belonging to another member of their group — the son of a prominent Indonesian minister.

Her defence team also claims that two other acquaintances arrested in the police raid were able to quickly buy their way out of trouble and subsequently vanished into thin air.

In Singapore overnight, Leslie spoke for the first time since her release from jail.

"I'm so exhausted, I'm really excited to be going home and I'm just really relieved to be out of Indonesia," she said.

"And I'm really thankful to all the people that have supported me and sent me emails and letters and phone calls during my time in Bali."

Leslie was arrested in Bali on August 20 after police found the tablets in her handbag outside a Kuta dance party.

She was convicted on Friday and sentenced to three months jail and was released on Saturday because she had already served that time while awaiting trial.

Leslie's close friend Norah Cullen has said one of the model's priorities when she returns home will be to become engaged to her millionaire boyfriend Scott Sutton.

"They were planning on it before," Ms Cullen told News Ltd newspapers.

"Michelle's really excited about seeing her parents and Scott. She wants to be with loved ones."

Leslie, who began wearing Muslim garb after her arrest and said she had converted to Islam 18 months ago, emerged from Kerobokan jail on Saturday heavily made-up and dressed in tight jeans, a tank-top, thongs and designer sunglasses.

 
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