Australian Jessica Wongso may face death penalty after AFP aided Indonesian police

The trial of an Australian woman who allegedly poisoned her friend to death with cyanide that has been televised live in Indonesia since it began in June is drawing to a close.

Jessica Kumala Wongso has been accused of murdering her friend with cyanide, in the courtroom prior to the start of her trial hearing in June.

Jessica Kumala Wongso has been accused of murdering her friend with cyanide, in the courtroom prior to the start of her trial hearing in June. Source: AAP

Australian resident Jessica Kumala Wongso, 27, has been accused of killing her friend Wayan Mirna Salihin with whom she studied design in Sydney.

On January 6, Wongso arrived at Olivier Restaurant in the Grand Indonesia mall well before Mirna and their other friend, Boon Juwita (known as Hani), and ordered Mirna's favourite drink, an iced Vietnamese coffee.

Footage shows her re-arranging bags around the drink before eventually clearing the table.

It was during this time prosecutors allege Wongso added the cyanide to the coffee.

A few minutes after drinking it, Mirna collapsed and foamed at the mouth before she died.

The Australian Federal Police's decision to hand over a damaging police file on Ms Wongso to Indonesian police could result in capital punishment, her lawyer Yudi Wibowo told ABC's 7:30 as her trial comes to a close.

"They should not be involved in providing this damaging police record, which is being used by Indonesian National Police to criminalise Jessica," Yudi said.

"The prosecution is looking for the death sentence and my duty as a lawyer is to try to evade the death sentence."

7:30 reported this month that the Australian Federal Police had handed over a file on Ms Wongso that revealed her ex-boyfriend in Australia had taken out an apprehended violence order against her over vandalising his car and that she had been suicidal. 

While Australian Justice Minister Michael Keenan said he handed over the evidence because he was told the death penalty would not apply, the court told 7:30 ultimately the decision would fall into the hands of the judges.

This has raised the ire of Mirna's father Edi Dermawan Salihin who said if she was convicted, based on evidence gathered by local police, the agreement should be void.
Jessica Wongso
Jessica Wongso poses. Source: Facebook

Court told Jessica Wongso a 'narcissist'

Psychologist Dr Antonia Ratih Andjayani told the hearing this week that she had interviewed Wongso soon after her arrest in January and had also watched CCTV footage from inside the Jakarta cafe where the accused allegedly mixed the cyanide into Mirna's iced-coffee.

"She's narcissistic with a huge impulse to be the centre of attention," Dr Andjayani told Jakarta's Central District Court on Monday.

Describing Wongso as "smart", Dr Andjayani said when she was in a situation where she could anticipate what was coming next she was "calm" but when something unexpected occurred "her emotion ignited".

If the conversation turned to her relationships with friends and family, Dr Andjayani said Wongso's responses were "shallow".

Prosecutors allege Wongso murdered her friend in revenge, after Mirna expressed her disapproval of Wongso's boyfriend in Australia.

No details have been revealed in court about Wongso's boyfriend as yet, but prosecutors allege when Wongso broke it off she murdered Mirna to "avenge her pain".

The trial, which began in June, continues.


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Source: AAP, SBS News

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