Jessica declared suspect in Mirna’s murder

The Jakarta Post, January 30 2016


The police have named Jessica Kumala Wongso a suspect in the murder of Wayan Mirna Salihin, who died soon after drinking cyanide-laced coffee at Olivier restaurant at Grand Indonesia, Central Jakarta, on Jan. 6.

Jessica, who shared a table at the restaurant with Mirna and Hani on Jan. 6, was arrested by the police on Saturday at a hotel in North Jakarta.

“Jessica was arrested at 7 a.m. [on Saturday],” said Jakarta Police general crimes director Sr. Corm. Krishna Murti in Jakarta on Saturday, adding that it had been decided to declare Jessica a suspect on Friday night.

Since the death of Mirna, the police focused their investigation on Jessica, searching her house and questioning her several times as well as her maid, who reportedly discarded the pants Jessica wore at the restaurant.

The police also questioned Hani, a relative of Mirna, and employees of Olivier restaurant and held three reconstructions of Mirna’s death at the restaurant. They also sought help from the Australian Federal Police to obtain information about Mirna’s life in the country.

Jessica visited the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) on Wednesday to file a report, saying she was being treated like a suspect by the police and the media.

Before declaring Jessica a suspect, the police and prosecutors met on Friday to discuss the case.

At the request of the police, the immigration office banned Jessica from traveling overseas. The police submitted a request for a travel ban on Jessica to the Directorate General of Immigration on Jan. 26, directorate spokesman Heru Santoso said on Friday.

Krishna said police investigators went to Jessica's house on Friday night, but she was not there. “We went to her house, but it was dark and quiet. We found her at a hotel in Mangga Dua, North Jakarta,” he said.



*