Australian student Jessica Wongso accused in cyanide coffee murder says she 'can't remember' details

Publish date: 2024-06-01

An Australian resident accused of lacing a friend's ice coffee with cyanide at a cafe in Indonesia's capital has told a court she can't remember the details of the woman's death.

Former Sydney resident Jessica Kumala Wongso, 27, took the stand on Wednesday for the first time since being charged with the premeditated murder of her friend, Wayan Mirna Salihin.

Ms Salihin died on January 6 after sipping a Vietnamese iced coffee ordered by Ms Wongso, whom police allege spiked the drink.

Australian resident Jessica Kumala Wongso is facing murder charges in Central Jakarta Court in Indonesia

Australian resident Jessica Kumala Wongso is facing murder charges in Central Jakarta Court in Indonesia

She is accused of lacing a friend's ice coffee with cyanide at a cafe in Indonesia's capital

She is accused of lacing a friend's ice coffee with cyanide at a cafe in Indonesia's capital

Prosecutors peppered Wongso with questions at Central Jakarta Court yesterday, demanding details of her movements at the cafe immediately before the alleged murder.

'We were just sitting and chatting, until Mirna drank her coffee,' Wongso was quoted as saying by The ABC.

'And then she said that the coffee tastes awful, it all happened so fast, so if you ask me the details of how it happened I can't answer.'

RELATED ARTICLES

Share this article

Share

Her lawyer later said Ms Wongso appeared relaxed during proceedings because she was telling the truth.

'A little lie needs to be covered with a bigger lie and so on, and so we did not make up anything,' he told the ABC.

Both Ms Wongso and Ms Salihin studied together at Billy Blue College of Design in Sydney, but Wongso stayed to work in Australia after her graduation in 2008.

Australian police and forensic experts have been providing assistance to Indonesian investigators in the case, which has captivated Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation.

Wayan Mirna Salihin (pictured) died on January 6 after sipping a Vietnamese iced coffee ordered by Ms Wongso

Wayan Mirna Salihin (pictured) died on January 6 after sipping a Vietnamese iced coffee ordered by Ms Wongso

Ms Wongso (left) and Ms Salihin (right) studied together at Billy Blue College of Design in Sydney

Ms Wongso (left) and Ms Salihin (right) studied together at Billy Blue College of Design in Sydney

Earlier in the week the court heard that Ms Wongso's former Australian boyfriend, Patrick O’Connor, requested an urgent restraining order against her, the Jakarta Post reported.

Senior Constable John Torres, from NSW Police, told the court that Mr O’Connor felt he was in danger due to Ms Wongso's deteriorating psychological condition and that she was threatening self harm.

Mr Torres also read the court more than a dozen police reports about Ms Wongso between 2014 and 2015, most of which detailed self-harm incidents but one which concerned a drink driving charge, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Ms Wongso has denied the charges and Australian forensic pathologists presented by the defence have said that it was unlikely that cyanide was the cause of Ms Salihin's death.

The trial continues.

Ms Wongso partakes in a police reenactment at Cafe Olivier in Jakarta

Ms Wongso partakes in a police reenactment at Cafe Olivier in Jakarta

CCTV footage of the friends of the two friends together at Cafe Olivier before Ms Salihin died

CCTV footage of the friends of the two friends together at Cafe Olivier before Ms Salihin died

 

 

 

 

 

 

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pa3IpbCmmZmhe6S7ja6iaKaVrMBwrdGtoJyklWKAeX2RcGlyZ3GqwLW%2BwKWgmqZdqMG2sMSnq2aClajAqq%2FAZo6oppeovG6twpysrJ2UYrC6rc2im55lk6Szp7HEZqSuqpSav26%2FwLKqZqxdp7KuscybnKtllJrBorXLrGWhrJ2h