Poll officials jailed in vote-rigging case

Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post/Palu

A District Court in Palu, Central Sulawesi sentenced on Thursday two officials of the Donggala General Elections Commission (KPUD) to nine and six months' imprisonment, respectively for vote- rigging in the April 5 legislative election.

KPUD chairman Abdullah Mallabang and another employee M. Thamrin, were also fined Rp 100 million (US$11,111) after being found guilty of inflating the votes of the Pioneer Party to 13,450 from 3,139.

The crime allowed the party to secure a seat on the Central Sulawesi provincial legislative council, but caused the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) to lose a seat on the council.

It is not clear whether the PKS, which brought the vote- rigging case to trial, will gain a seat after the verdict.

Hundreds of PKS supporters packed the courtroom during the trial presided over by judge Muhammad Taufik. Many of them shouted "Allahu Akbar (God is Great)" and immediately kneeled for prayers shortly after hearing the verdict.

Prosecutors had demanded 11 and nine months in jail for Abdullah and Thamrin, respectively.

Abdullah did not say if he would appeal or not. -- JP