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strong>Jan. 31, 2016

The Jakarta Police have defended a decision not to give Jessica Kumala Wongso, 27, who is accused of premeditated murder, a copy of her investigation report.

Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Muhammad Iqbal said the police were not violating the law by not giving the report to Jessica, who was named a suspect on Friday in the investigation into the death of her friend Wayan Mirna Salihin, 27.

'€œIf her legal team wishes to file a complaint, it is most welcome to. There is no requirement for the police to give a copy of an investigation report to a suspect.

Moreover, he [Jessica'€™s lawyer Yudi Wibowo Sukinto] accompanied her during her questioning. Before signing the report, we read it out again,'€ said Iqbal as quoted by kompas.com in Jakarta on Sunday.

Your comments:

The police should release the CCTV footage to the public. What could go wrong with releasing it to the public? By releasing it, the police will gain public trust as being more transparent.

Oraisoiso

What is her motive? I am just curious.

It'€™s called disclosure. Of course the police must provide a copy. And why would they not want to unless, of course, it has been played with?

Farmergiles

The police have a record of being one of the most corrupt, boneheaded, anti-human-rights organizations in Indonesia, which is quite an achievement, when just about every other organization is competing to see who wins the most points for corruption, incompetence and stupidity.

I would venture to say that at least some of the evidence against Jessica is suspect, perhaps manufactured and/or misinterpreted.

There have yet to be overt allegations of sexual orientation, but that would likely be one reason the cops want to make their allegations stick regardless of the evidence.

We'€™ll see how this plays out, I dare say, but trial by media and the public won'€™t work out well.

MG

JP had a chance to check the validity of Sr. Comr. Muhammad Iqbal'€™s claim that he '€œdoesn'€™t have to give the accused a copy of the investigation report'€.

As mentioned below: According to Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP) in Article 72, '€œAt the request of the suspect or the legal adviser, the relevant authorities provide copy of investigation report for the sake of defense.'€

Alba2000

The police are notorious for defending themselves when it involves crimes committed by them. This case is circumstantial and smells of another Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS) with '€œquestionable'€ witnesses, so called '€œexperts'€, police-appointed psychiatrist and defending of their actions.

Surely the suspects'€™ rights are being violated, because if the police'€™s '€œprivate'€ report were published, it would only further confirm illegal and ignorant actions of the police based on assumptions and not evidence.

Willo1246

This is the fastest way to get a promotion. I remember Rikwanto, who handled the JIS case, got himself
a promotion not long after the Indonesian court decided the ISS cleaners and JIS teachers were guilty.

Chotto Matte

I also really can'€™t accept the sarcastic remark of the police that her defense team should rather focus on her defense if it insists that she is innocent than try to get the actual investigation report.

Now, how can any lawyer prepare a proper defense if not based on some papers and evidence (hahaha) given by the police?

But tricky as the police are, they will give a red herring and then try to focus on some small and unimportant detail never discussed or mentioned before '€” e.g. the witness statement of this woman'€™s housemaid who is in '€œprotective'€ custody '€” easy to work on her and mold her statement according to needs.

Gordon Freeman

I bet the police intimidated the other friend, Hani, to testify against Jessica. Note that she came out from the interrogation room crying when the police summoned her for the second (?) time.

This is when the police told the public '€œHani was in a state of panic and she forgot something important. She '€˜remembered'€™ it when we showed the CCTV footage again.'€

And they altered her previous statement '€œHani drank Mirna'€™s coffee, too, but she suffered no symptoms'€ to '€œHani didn'€™t drink the coffee, she just tasted (some local publication mentioned she licked the coffee) one drop of Mirna'€™s coffee, but not swallowed it, therefore she'€™s still alive.'€

CM

It'€™s good to see that the police know the law. Not.

'€œIf her legal team wishes to file a complaint it is most welcome to. There is no requirement for the police to give a copy of an investigation report to a suspect'€ maybe not the suspect directly, but her lawyer can request and be given a copy. The police are an incompetent bunch of nitwits.

Lost And Found