Police asked to provide evidence in Pardede case<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra<\/p>\n
North Sumatra Provincial Police are in hot water following their
\nrecent statement that deputy governor Rudolf Pardede had not
\nfabricated his high school diplomas prior to submitting his
\ncandidacy for the province's second position.<\/p>\n
Officials from the local offices of the National Mandate Party
\n(PAN) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) demanded on Monday
\nthat the police show the original copies of Pardede's junior high
\nand senior high school diplomas to the public.<\/p>\n
Chairman of PAN's North Sumatra chapter Ibrahim Sakti Batubara
\nsaid the police had to prove their earlier statements that
\nPardede was innocent.<\/p>\n
The police have claimed that they carried out an investigation
\nat a junior high school in Tanjungpinang, Riau, and a senior high
\nschool in Sukabumi, West Java, following the public debate.<\/p>\n
Ibrahim said the police declaration of Rudolf's innocence in
\nthe absence of the original copies of the diplomas could create
\npublic unease, particularly among those involved in the education
\nsector.<\/p>\n
"If Rudolf Pardede had actually graduated from high school,
\nthe police must be able to state the certificate serial numbers,
\nthe graduation dates and the names of those who signed the
\ncertificates," he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
PKS North Sumatra provincial councillor Sigit Pramono Asri
\nconcurred, saying that the police had to reveal the truth, as
\npeople already thought that Pardede had submitted fake documents
\nfor the deputy governorship.<\/p>\n
Sigit said the police should also follow up on a May 28, 2003
\nletter from principal of BPK Penabur Christian High School in
\nSukabumi Martha Christiawati, which was sent to the North Sumatra
\nProvincial Legislative Council and the Ministry of Home Affairs
\nin Jakarta, saying that she had been under pressure prior to
\nsigning a written testimony that Pardede was once a student at
\nthe school.<\/p>\n
"That is why the police must reveal the truth, so as not to
\nconfuse the public," the councillor said.<\/p>\n
"Should the police be unable to reveal the truth, it will only
\nconfirm that they have been unprofessional and half-hearted in
\ntheir investigation ... Or, they are hiding something," Ibrahim
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
North Sumatra Police chief of detectives Sr. Comr Hari
\nPrasetyo said on Monday that the police had collected evidence
\nthat Pardede had graduated from both high schools.<\/p>\n
"Pardede's diplomas are real; we've got the data to prove it,"
\nSatria said, without elaborating.<\/p>\n
Pardede was sworn in as the province' deputy governor by
\nMinister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno on June 16, despite the
\nallegations.<\/p>\n
Rudolf, chairman of the North Sumatra chapter of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), and T.
\nRizal Nurdin, the reelected governor, nominated by the PDI
\nPerjuangan faction, won the election on May 26. They defeated
\nChairuman Harahap, chief of the North Sumatra Prosecutor's Office
\nand Serta Ginting, deputy speaker of the North Sumatra Provincial
\nLegislative Council, nominated by the Golkar Party faction, by 51
\nvotes to 33.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-asked-to-provide-evidence-in-pardede-case-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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