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Simalungun regent named suspect in 'fake diploma' case
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Election prep: A worker carries ballot boxes on Feb. 28 at the local branch of the General Elections Commission (KPUD) in Ciamis, West Java. (Antara/Adeng Bustomi)
S
imalungun Regent Jopinus Ramli "JR" Saragih has fulfilled the summons of the North Sumatra Integrated Law Enforcement (Gakkumdu) center for questioning as a suspect in a forgery case related to his bid to register as a candidate in the province's upcoming gubernatorial election.
JR’s questioning was conducted at the Elections Supervisory Agency's (Bawaslu) North Sumatra branch in Medan on Monday, a week after the head of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle’s (PDI-P) North Sumatra executive board was named a suspect in a separate case.
Hundreds of the regent's supporters staged a rally at the Bawaslu North Sumatra office to protest his being named a suspect. They said the Gakkumdu’s decision was a form of cruelty, as JR had never been questioned before, and believed the decision was politically motivated.
“All tyrannical acts must be rejected. JR Saragih is the best son of North Sumatra. He is being treated cruelly. We have to fight against this cruelty,” the protesters said.
(Read also: Two candidate pairs to run in North Sumatra election: Commission)
Headed by North Sumatra Police deputy chief Brig.Gen. Agus Andrianto, at least 600 personnel were deployed to secure the Bawaslu office during JR's questioning.
JR is being accused of falsifying a diploma he had used to register as a gubernatorial candidate in the North Sumatra regional election.
Gakkumdu named him a suspect last Thursday, after the Regional Elections Commission (KPUD) declared that JR, who had been elected twice as Simalungun regent, was ineligible to contest the province’s gubernatorial election. (ebf)
