Forgery case suspect fulfills police summons

Zainal Arifin, a former clerk at the Constitutional Court, fulfilled police summons on Monday for questioning as suspect in an alleged forgery of the court's document ruling for a dispute in the 2009 elections.

Zainal, who arrived at the National Police accompanied by his lawyer, said he was ready for the questioning.

"I also have several documents with me," Zainal said.

He declined to specify what the documents regarded.

Police named Zainal a suspect in the alleged forgery last week. Previously, the police named and detained another suspect in the case, Mashuri Hasan, who was also a former clerk at the Constitutional Court.

The police have also questioned several people as witnesses in the case, including former Constitutional Court judge Arsyad Sanusi and former General Election Commission (KPU) commissioner Andi Nurpati, who is now a member of the ruling Democratic Party.

The case involves alleged forgery of the Constitutional Court's document ruling on a dispute between Dewi Yasin Limpo of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) with Mestariyani Habie of the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) for a House of Representatives seat representing the South Sulawesi I electoral district.

The court ruled in favor of Gerindra candidate. However, the KPU, using an explanatory letter from the court, announced that the Hanura candidate won the seat. (rcf)