Australian permanent resident Jessica Wongso has copped a 20 year jail sentence in Indonesia for the murder of her friend Mirna Salihin, who she poisoned in a Jakarta café by lacing her coffee with cyanide.
It was alleged that Wongso had poisoned her friend’s iced coffee as they dined with another friend in January. CCTV footage captured what police allege was the moment Wongso slipped the cyanide into the beverage. The judge actually dismissed that footage and said that it did not show any tampering.
The motive, according to police, was a relationship spat – Wongso was angry that Sailihin had asked her to break up with her boyfriend. The defence ridiculed this as a ridiculous reason for a murder, but the judge accepted it.
Three Australian toxicology and forensic experts testified during the case that there was no proof cyanide was the cause of death, but the presence of cyanide in the cup among other pieces of evidence was eventually judged to be a compelling reason for the conviction.
“Jessica Kumala Wongso has been legally and convincingly proven guilty of committing premeditated murder,” said presiding judge Kisworo, as he read a 377-page verdict over four hours.
Wongso implied to the court that she will likely lodge an appeal, and reports suggest her lawyers have called it “the death of law in Indonesia”.
Source: ABC News.
Photo: 60 Minutes.
