The investigation into the death of 27-year-old Wayan Mirna Salihin, suspected to have been caused by cyanide placed into a glass of iced coffee she drank at Olivier Cafe in Grand Indonesia on January 6, has gripped the capital and dominated local headlines for the last two weeks. Given the intense media scrutiny of the case and the possibility of a pretrial motion, police have been cautious about naming any suspects, but just this morning they arrested Mirna’s friend Jessica Kumala Wongso as a suspect in the murder case.
“Jessica has just arrested at Hotel Neo Mangga Dua Square at 7:45 am,” Jakarta Police General Crimes Director Senior Commissioner Krishna Murti confirmed to Detik this morning.
Jessica, who was at Olivier Cafe with Mirna when she died, has been the focus of rampant media speculation regarding the case. She supposedly arrived at the cafe some time before Mirna and ordered her coffee for her.
She is also reported to have been friends with Mirna since their university days in Australia, leading Indonesian police to ask the Australian Federal Police for assistance in checking out both of their backgrounds.
Earlier this week the National Police placed a travel ban on Jessica forbidding her from leaving Indonesia.
Throughout repeated police interrogations and media interviews, Jessica has steadfastly maintained her innocence.
