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Jessica studied ‘execution place', avoided CCTV: Prosecutor
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Suspect Jessica Kumala Wongoso listens to the indictment read by prosecutors in their case against her in the Central Jakarta District Court on June 15. Jessica is the sole suspect in a case involving cyanide-spiked coffee that killed her friend Wayan Mirna Salihin in a cafe in an upscale mall in Central Jakarta in January, (The Jakarta Post/Wienda Parwitasari)
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rosecutors of the Central Jakarta District Court claim Jessica Kumala Wongso studied the cafe murder scene thoroughly just hours before her friend Wayan Mirna Salihin died after drinking cyanide-tainted coffee.
The prosecutors, lead by Ardito Muwandi, told the court on Wednesday that Jessica, the sole suspect in the premeditated murder case, apparently knew the locations of the closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the Olivier Cafe as she allegedly tried to block the cameras with three paper bags strategically located on her table.
Jessica, Mirna and their friend Hani had agreed to meet at Olivier Cafe in Grand Indonesia in Central Jakarta on Jan. 6 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting place and time were chosen by Jessica and she had arrived early at around 3:30 p.m., long before her friends, Ardito said as he read the indictment out loud.
After entering the Olivier café, Jessica was recorded through CCTV to be examining the locale. After a short while, she left the cafe and went to a Bath and Body Works shop in the West Mall of the same shopping center to buy three types of bath salts.
"She ordered the shop worker to put those bath salts in three paper bags,” Ardito said during the trial of the high profile murder case.
Prosecutors said Jessica returned to Olivier cafe at around 4:14 p.m. with the three paper bags. She directly headed to the non-smoking area and chose to sit at table number 54, which had a wall as a backing. She then ordered a Vietnamese coffee for Mirna and two cocktails for herself and Hani, Ardito said, adding that after ordering Jessica immediately paid the bill.
A coffeemaker named Rangga made the Vietnamese coffee based on the café's procedure. Waiter Agus Triono brought the coffee to the table and was followed by another employee named Marlon who served the cocktails.
“After Marlon left the table, Jessica moved to the center of the couch. She arranged the three paper bags upon the table to block the views of other people. For about 15 minutes, Jessica put the cyanide into Mirna’s glass,” Ardito claimed as he read the indictment.
Mirna died instantly in the cafe after drinking the coffee. Doctors who performed an autopsy found that she died from a corrosive substance in her stomach. (rin)
