Indonesia refutes last pleas to delay drug convicts execution

Indonesia: Indonesia said the execution of nine drug traffickers would go ahead this week, rebuffing last-minute appeals from Australia and the Philippines to spare their nationals and ignoring a decision by the Constitutional Court to hear a final challenge.

Australia began the day with a plea for a stay in the execution of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, saying reports that their trial had been tainted by corruption needed to be investigated.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said allegations that judges requested money to commute the death sentences were "very serious" and called into question the integrity of the process.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo brushed that off, telling reporters that such concerns should have been conveyed a decade ago when the case when through the courts.

The prospect of a reprieve for the pair emerged later, when their lawyer said that the Constitutional Court would hear another challenge on May 12.

But Attorney General Spokesman Tony Spontana said the executions would not be delayed by the court's decision to hear their case and insisted that the execution of all nine on death row would proceed this week.

The other seven who were informed at the weekend that they would face the firing squad as early as Tuesday are four Nigerians, an Indonesian, a Brazilian and a Filipina.

Philippines President Benigno Aquino appealed to Widodo at a summit of Southeast Asian nations to spare the Filipina, a mother-of-two who says she was duped into carrying drugs into Indonesia.

Widodo said he was sympathetic and would consider the plea, but later Indonesia's Attorney General said there would be no clemency for Mary Jane Veloso.

Indonesia has harsh punishments for drug crimes and resumed executions in 2013 after a five-year gap.

Widodo has been unbending in his hard line on traffickers and his refusal to grant foreigners on death row clemency has strained relations with several countries, particularly neighbour Australia.