Ron Bakir
Encyclopedia
Ron Bakir (also known as Rani Muhuddine Hassan) is a Lebanese-Australian entrepreneur
from Queensland
, Australia
.
Bakir is the founder of the now defunct Mad Ron's mobile phone
retail chain. He gained nationwide media attention as a supporter of Schapelle Corby
in 2005.
in 1977. He emigrated to Australia and since then has popularly been known as Ron Bakir.
'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 $A100,000 towards the $A1,000,000 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 $A500,000 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
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
from Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Bakir is the founder of the now defunct Mad Ron's mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
retail chain. He gained nationwide media attention as a supporter of Schapelle Corby
Schapelle Corby
Schapelle Leigh Corby is an Australian woman convicted of drug smuggling who is imprisoned in Indonesia.Corby is serving a 20-year sentence for the importation of of cannabis into Bali, Indonesia...
in 2005.
Early history
Bakir was born in LebanonLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
in 1977. He emigrated to Australia and since then has popularly been known as Ron Bakir.
Corby's "White Knight"
In 2005, Bakir gained attention again as Schapelle CorbySchapelle Corby
Schapelle Leigh Corby is an Australian woman convicted of drug smuggling who is imprisoned in Indonesia.Corby is serving a 20-year sentence for the importation of of cannabis into Bali, Indonesia...
'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
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(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
Miscarriage of justice
A miscarriage of justice primarily is the conviction and punishment of a person for a crime they did not commit. The term can also apply to errors in the other direction—"errors of impunity", and to civil cases. Most criminal justice systems have some means to overturn, or "quash", a wrongful...
could occur if she were not properly represented. Bakir pledged $A100,000 towards the $A1,000,000 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
Ida Bagus Wiswantanu
Ida Bagus Wiswantanu has been Chief Government Prosecutor in Bali, Indonesia since 2002. From 2005 until 2007 he was reassigned as general prosecutor to Yogjakarta, since 2008 he is Bali's Chief Government Prosecutor again....
) 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 $A500,000 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