Police investigate deputy governor's fake diploma

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra

North Sumatra Provincial Police have begun investigating the allegedly bogus diploma of deputy governor-elect Rudolf Pardede, a matter of great public interest in the province.

A team, led by Comr. M. Butar-Butar, has been sent to the Riau town of Tanjungpinang where Rudolf was at junior high school and to the West Java town of Sukabumi where he attended senior high school.

Head of detectives and criminology at the provincial police Sr. Comr. Hari Prasetyo confirmed on Saturday that his team was still on its way to the two towns to carry out its investigation.

It was being carried out, he said, not to interfere in the province's political matters but to uphold the law. "The police are obliged to be proactive in handling such matters to avoid instability, which could affect security and order in the province," he said.

The investigators' main mission was to check whether Rudolf graduated from the two schools and was given a diploma, because he failed to show his senior high school diploma when, along with incumbent governor T. Rizal Nurdin, he ran for the number two position in the province.

Rudolf was risking the annulment of his victory in the recent gubernatorial election if it was proved that he did not graduate from senior high school and, according to Government Regulation No 108/2000 on the appointment of regional officials, the provincial legislative council would be obliged to elect a new deputy governor.

Many student groups, local nongovernmental organizations and those defeated in the gubernatorial election have strongly urged the police to investigate the case to avoid creating confusion among the public.

The 1999 regional autonomy law requires gubernatorial and deputy gubernatorial candidates to at least be senior high school graduates with a senior high school diploma before they can run in a gubernatorial election.

So far, both President Megawati Soekarnoputri and Home Minister Hari Sabarno have yet to respond to the victory of Rizal and Rudolf in the election held on May 26.

Prasetyo declined to comment further on whether or not the winning pair would be sworn in, saying, "Our main task is to carry out the investigation and the result will be handed over to the legislative council."

Deputy chairman of the provincial legislative council Saladin Siringoringo insisted that the gubernatorial election was held fairly and democratically,in line with the extant regulations.

"The gubernatorial election committee is making preparations for the inauguration of the new governor and deputy governor, scheduled for June 16," he said.