Prosecutor Ardito Muwardi told judges at the Central Jakarta District Court on Wednesday that Jessica had murdered Mirna in revenge, claiming that Jessica had been outraged at Mirna, whom is said to have repeatedly told Jessica to break up with her boyfriend.

“Mirna advised Jessica to break up with boyfriend because her boyfriend was a drug abuser and violent. Mirna said that Jessica’s boyfriend was not a good person and had a bad economic situation. Jessica was offended by Mirna’s advice,” Ardito said.

The murder trial proceedings commenced at 10:20 a.m. with Jessica, the sole suspect in the case, who has been detained for about 5 months, attending the trial wearing a red detainee vest. The court hearing was presided over by Kisyoro, accompanied by two other judges, Partahi and Binsar Panjaitan.

According to Ardito, Jessica had broken up with her boyfriend. He also alleged that, in Australia, she had become a troublemaker, citing that due to Jessica’s behavior had led to police involvement  on several occasions in Australia.

Jessica was accompanied at the trial by 15 lawyers . Sordame Purba, one of Jessica’s lawyers, called the prosecutors’ indictment nonsense.

“It is nonsense that Jessica flew from Sydney to Jakarta to murder Mirna. It is unfair that Jessica was the only suspect in the case, when some people, such as Mirna’s husband Arief Soemarko, Mirna’s friend Hani, and the staff who made the coffee were also involved at the time of the incident,” Sordame said.

The judges have given prosecutors a week to provide an answer to the lawyer’s claims. The trial has been suspended until June 21, Kisyoro said.

Mirna died after she drank a cyanide-laced iced coffee at Olivier cafe in Central Jakarta during a meeting with Jessica and another friend, Hani, on Jan. 6. (bbn)

Popular

Indonesia not affected by Southeast Asia-wide heat wave: BMKG

Residents fear for safety as Mount Ruang volcano erupts

In defense of Indonesian democracy