Convicted council speaker supported<\/p>\n
Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Tanjung Pinang<\/p>\n
Despite being sentenced to three years' jail for forgery, Tanjung
\nPinang city council speaker Bobby Jayanto cannot legally be
\nremoved from his position, councillors supporting him claim.<\/p>\n
Deputy council speaker Maria Titiek P. Angesti, of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle faction, said that based
\non Law 32\/2004 on regional government and Law No. 22\/2003 on the
\ncomposition of legislative bodies as well as the municipal
\ncouncil guidelines, a replacement could only be made if he was
\nconvicted and the penalty had \"permanent legal power\".<\/p>\n
\"But Bobby Jayanto is still appealing the case and taking
\nother legal measures. According to existing regulations, he is
\nstill the Tanjung Pinang municipal council speaker until the
\nTanjung Pinang court verdict has permanent legal power,\" Maria
\ntold The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
On Monday, the Tanjung Pinang District Court in Riau Islands
\nprovince handed down the sentence to Bobby after he was proven
\nguilty of using a fake senior high school diploma when running
\nfor the council.<\/p>\n
Bobby, of the Pancasila Patriots Party, is serving his 2004-
\n2009 office term for the municipality.<\/p>\n
The verdict was less than the five years requested by
\nprosecutors for Bobby, who faked a senior high school equivalency
\ndiploma supposed to have been issued by the Jakarta province's
\nEducation Office. The Tanjung Pinang Police received a letter
\nfrom the office, confirming it had no record of him ever taking
\nthe test.<\/p>\n
\"If all the councillors demand the election of a new council
\nspeaker, and it is conducted according to the existing
\nprocedures, it's fine. But so far, the councillors still find it
\nunnecessary to replace the council speaker,\" Maria said.<\/p>\n
Another councillor, Muhammad Arif of the Prosperous Justice
\nParty, said on Tuesday there was no discussion among the
\ncouncillors to replace Bobby following the court decision.<\/p>\n
\"We're still waiting for the (appeal process) before he can be
\nreplaced,\" Muhammad said<\/p>\n
Hajjrullah of Tanjung Pinang's Mosque Communication Forum, the
\norganization, which reported Bobby's fake diploma to the police,
\nsaid it was high time the city councillors replaced the speaker
\nwith a better leader.<\/p>\n
However, Bobby's lawyer, Hendie Devitra, said his client would
\nappeal the verdict to the Pekanbaru High Court, saying the case
\nwas politically motivated and had been exaggerated by Bobby's
\nenemies who wanted him out of the council.<\/p>\n
\"The appeal will be immediately proposed to the High Court. We
\nfind that the Tanjung Pinang District Court has not been
\nobjective. The fake diploma mentioned by the prosecutor was not
\ntabled in the court as evidence. Bobby has not been proven
\nguilty,\" Hendie said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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