Officials tried for passports forgery

JAKARTA (JP): Two Ministry of Religious Affairs officials and a man from a private foundation are being tried for forging ten passports.

Prosecutor Rusmini S. Meliala told yesterday the Central Jakarta District Court said that one official, Zk, in cooperation with another official, M, put the photographs of ten haj pilgrims on the passports belonging to other people in May.

M was tried in a separate session with Rusmini as the prosecutor.

The other defendant, identified as SH, is a director of a foundation organizing haj pilgrimages.

Prosecutor Rusmini said SH was aware of the forgeries but he did not stop the pilgrims from using the passports.

The three defendants are only under city arrest.

Defendant M was tried in a separate session because the prosecutor said he was only found holding the passport.

If found guilty the three face a maximum eight years jail.

The prosecutor said the forgeries had tarnished the Ministry of Religious Affairs' reputation for arranging haj pilgrimages. (07)