TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Supreme Court rejects appeal of cyanide-coffee case convict
The Supreme Court has dashed the hopes of Jessica Kumala Wongso, who was convicted of using cyanide-laced coffee to murder a friend, to be released from her 20-year prison sentence.
Change Size
Jessica Kumala Wongso (center) is consoled by her lawyers after judges found her guilty of murder at the Central Jakarta Court on Oct. 27, 2016. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
T
he Supreme Court has dashed the hopes of Jessica Kumala Wongso, who was convicted of using cyanide-laced coffee to murder a friend, to be released from her 20-year prison sentence.
Jessica’s lawyers stated they would file a request for a case review after learning that the panel of judges, Artidjo Alkostar, Salman Luthan and Sumardiyatmo, turned down Jessica’s cassation appeal.
"[We] reject the cassation," said the Supreme Court spokesman Suhadi as quoted by tribunnews.com on Wednesday.
On Oct. 27, 2016, judges of the Central Jakarta District Court declared Jessica guilty of murdering Wayan Mirna Salihin.
The ruling was controversial because of a lack of evidence from eyewitnesses that could prove Jessica put cyanide into Mirna’s coffee when they shared a table at the Olivier Café in Central Jakarta on Jan. 6.
Judge Partahi Tulus Hutapea said the judges’ decision to use circumstantial evidence to determine Jessica's guilty was legitimate because it was Jessica who had ordered the Vietnamese iced coffee and she was the only one who had access to the beverage before Mirna drank it.
Before going to the Supreme Court, Jessica appealed to the Jakarta High Court but the judges rejected her.
Lawyer Otto Hasibuan said on Wednesday that his client would file the request for a case review with the Supreme Court. (agn)
