Jakarta – 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.
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 Cafe 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)