Candidates fined for fake diplomas

PADANG, West Sumatra: Padang district court fined on Wednesday two legislative candidates here for diploma forgery.

Machri Hendra, a judge at the district court, said that the two, Syahril and Zulkifli, were fined Rp 4 million and Rp 3 million respectively after they were found guilty of forging school diplomas. The two defendants said that they would appeal the verdict.

Meanwhile, seven other legislative candidates in the same city were also fined Rp 300,000 to Rp 1.5 million on the same day by the Padang district court.

According to the court, they were found guilty of forging medical status reports and identity cards during registration as legislative candidates for the 2004 election. -- Antara