Just who is paying Cassandra Sainsbury’s ongoing legal bills?

Despite government claims to the contrary, 60 Minutes can reveal taxpayers are funding the bid to free accused drug smuggler Cassandra Sainsbury from a Colombian prison.

The Turnbull government has been funding the cost of Sainsbury's legal team in Bogota since her arrest on April 12 - and are expected to be asked for more money in the months ahead.

Sainsbury has been behind bars in the South American country for the past five months she was caught trying to board a flight to London at Bogota's El Dorado International Airport with close to 5.8 kilograms of cocaine hidden in her luggage.

Sainsbury’s Colombian lawyer, Orlando Herman, told 60 Minutes he would seek additional funds from Australian authorities to pay for a private investigator to look into claims the 22-year-old drug mule maintains will clear her name.

The revelation comes in direct contrast to statements made by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton earlier this year.

When asked, “Do you or do we fund her legal costs at all?” Mr Dutton replied, “No. That'll be an issue for her”.

Sainsbury’s Australian legal representatives told 60 Minutes this week: “ Our client has made application for funding of her legal costs to the Attorney Generals Department, Civil Justice Policy and Program Division. This legal assistance is available to all Australian citizens who are charged with serious criminal offences in jurisdictions other than Australia. As with any other applicant, funding merit was assessed having regard to the Commonwealth Guidelines for Legal Financial Assistance 2012 and funding was subsequently granted .”

Sainsbury’s legal team would not confirm the amount of funding received to date, or when the application was made.

60 Minutes reached out to the Australian Federal Government regarding funding to Cassandra Sainsbury’s overseas legal fees, but no comment was provided.

These are only the latest contradictions in a case already mired in controversy.

In the exclusive tell-all interview that aired on 60 Minutes last night, Sainsbury finally broke her silence on the key issues concerning her case.

She revealed for the first time she was lured into the drug smuggling operation after being offered $10,000 to carry documents across international borders.

After landing in Bogota, Sainsbury claims she was told she would actually be smuggling cocaine out of the city for sale in Hong Kong.

In perhaps the biggest twist to her case so far, the 22-year-old also claimed her arrest in Colombia was “linked” to her life as a fly-in fly-out worker as a brothel in Penrith, in Sydney’s west.