Poll officials jailed in vote-rigging case

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