Several people arrested for election fraud<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta\/Bandarlampung<\/p>\n
Several incidents of election fraud were uncovered during the
\ncountry's first ever direct presidential polls on Monday, with a
\nnumber of people arrested for allegedly voting more than once.<\/p>\n
In Makassar, South Sulawesi, police arrested at least eight
\npeople for attempting to vote twice in the final round of the
\npresidential election.<\/p>\n
The suspects were identified as Irham, Agus Karno, Ramang,
\nTarkim, Adeul, Harson and Taufan -- all from Donggala in Central
\nSulawesi -- as well as Henny, a resident of Makassar city who was
\nallegedly harboring seven, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
Irham was nabbed while allegedly trying to cast a second vote
\nat polling station 06 in Mangku subdistrict, Wajo district,
\nMakassar.<\/p>\n
A local Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) official
\nnoticed that Irham's little finger had already been marked by
\nink, indicating that he had already voted.<\/p>\n
When confronted by the official, Irham confessed that he had
\nalready voted at polling station 22 in the neighboring
\nsubdistrict of Mamajang.<\/p>\n
Irham was taken to the Wajo Police station for questioning. He
\nreportedly told police he had arrived in Makassar at about 3 a.m.
\non Monday, along with six friends.<\/p>\n
He told police the seven were to meet in Makassar a woman he
\nidentified as Henny, who had promised them jobs. Irham told
\npolice they were unable to find the woman, and instead went to
\ndifferent polling stations during the day.<\/p>\n
Irham was quoted by Antara as saying he voted at polling
\nstation 22 and then went to polling station 06, where he expected
\nto meet his friends.<\/p>\n
When he was unable to locate his friends, Irham told officer
\nhe registered again to vote for a second time.<\/p>\n
Police tracked down the six other suspects as they were eating
\nat a local food stall.<\/p>\n
Officers also arrested Henny at her home and charged her with
\nmobilizing people to vote twice in the election. She denied the
\ncharge.<\/p>\n
Irham's six friends also denied voting twice. All eight
\nsuspects are being detained for further questioning.<\/p>\n
Also in Makassar, a member of Megawati Soekarnoputri's
\ncampaign team, identified as Panji, was found acting as a polling
\nstation head in Sudiang subdistrict, Biringkanaya district.<\/p>\n
Panji was wearing a shirt with a picture of Megawati and her
\nrunning mate while on duty at the polling station, according to
\nlocal Panwaslu official Anwar Pallime.<\/p>\n
In Lampung, a village community defense body chief in Kampung
\nSawah subdistrict, Way Lunik district, Bandarlampung, was
\narrested for voting five times on Monday.<\/p>\n
The 50-year-old suspect, Kamaludin Lubis, admitted to voting
\nfive times, but said he was voting as a representative for his
\nwife, children and other relatives.<\/p>\n
Riko Firmansyah, a Panwaslu member in South Telukbetung, said
\nLubis received five ballot papers from Way Lunik poll official
\nSuparmin, 39, who claimed the suspect forced him to give him the
\npapers.<\/p>\n
Suparmin and other local poll officials could be charged with
\nelection law violations for allowing Lubis to vote more than
\nonce, Lampung Panwaslu member Firman Seponada said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the local Panwaslu in Bantul regency, Yogyakarta
\nprovince, said it had discovered letters bearing pictures of
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri and running mate Hasyim Muzadi,
\nwhich were distributed to voters hours before going to the polls.<\/p>\n
The letters read, \"Mohon doa restu\" (asking for prayers and
\npermission), and are being seen as an attempt by the Megawati
\ncamp to sway voters.<\/p>\n
Panwaslu officials also discovered a possible election
\nviolation as supporters of candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and
\nrunning mate Jusuf Kalla distributed 600 T-shirts in Yogyakarta
\ncity.<\/p>\n
About 400 of the T-shirts were seized by the Panwaslu, while
\nthe remaining 200 were distributed to residents, local Panwaslu
\nofficial Agus Triyatno said.<\/p>\n
\"We have identified the perpetrators but we will withhold
\ntheir names to smooth the way for the investigation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Agus said his office had also uncovered a smear campaign
\nagainst Susilo in Yogyakarta, where leaflets were distributed on
\npublic buses encouraging residents not to vote for him.<\/p>\n
\"We have reported this case to the police for investigation,\"
\nAgus added.<\/p>\n
In Pontianak, West Kalimantan, police arrested two people,
\nidentified as Den and Pat, for distributing cards bearing the
\npictures of Susilo and Kalla at a number of polling stations in
\nTanjungpura district.<\/p>\n
The suspects reportedly told the police they were ordered to
\ndistribute the cards by Susilo's campaign team in South Pontianak
\nregency.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/several-people-arrested-for-election-fraud-1447893297",
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