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Jessica will not apologize: Lawyer
Jessica Kumala Wongso, a suspect in the murder of Wayan Mirna Salihin, 27, walks away from an interrogation room at the Jakarta Police headquarters on Jan
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Jessica Kumala Wongso, a suspect in the murder of Wayan Mirna Salihin, 27, walks away from an interrogation room at the Jakarta Police headquarters on Jan. 30 after questioning. (kompas.com/Alif Ichwan) (kompas.com/Alif Ichwan)
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span class="inline inline-center">Jessica Kumala Wongso, a suspect in the murder of Wayan Mirna Salihin, 27, walks away from an interrogation room at the Jakarta Police headquarters on Jan. 30 after questioning. (kompas.com/Alif Ichwan)
Jessica Kumala Wongso did not murder her friend, Wayan Mirna Salihin, and therefore, she has no need to apologize to Mirna's family for Mirna's death as requested by Mirna's father, Dermawan Salihin, Jessica's lawyer has said.
"As her lawyer, I believe she is innocent," Yayat Supriatna told journalists on Monday.
Jessica's lawyers called on the police to publicly air the CCTV recording that according to the police is the key evidence in Mirna's murder.
A lawmaker, who has had access to the CCTV recording, which shows Mirna, Jessica and another friend Hani in a restaurant at the time Mirna drank a cyanide-laced ice coffee that police believe led to her death, recently told journalists that Jessica's activities in the recording appeared suspicious.
Another member of Jessica's legal team, Yudi Wibowo Sukinto, said the CCTV recording could show no indication of Jessica's involvement in the murder because there was no witness to say that Jessica put the poison in Mirna's coffee.
"If the police are really convinced, just show the CCTV to the public. The police have never shown it to us and we don't know why," Yudi said previously, adding that Jessica's lawyers also demanded a copy of the police investigation document.
The police have rejected all the requests.
The police named Jessica a suspect in Mirna's murder on Friday after carrying out an internal case review and meeting with prosecutors. The police say they have four items of evidence, more than the two required by law to name anyone a suspect in a criminal case.
The lawyers have demanded that police release Jessica although they have not made any official request to release her from detention. They have not filed a pretrial motion either, although previously they had considered doing so.
Dermawan has expressed his regret that Jessica's family has never communicated with him, but has in fact been hostile. "At least, just say sorry to me because Jessica was the person who ordered the coffee for my daughter. I only want to hear the truth", Dermawan said
Yayat said that like Mirna's family, Jessica's family was also in grief. "Of course her parents are sad. It is their child who is involved in this case. That's undesirable," Yayat said. (bbn)(+)
