Three jailed for forgery

BANDA ACEH, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam: The Meulaboh District Court has sentenced three legislative candidates in West Aceh regency to one month in prison each for poll violations.

The presiding judge in the district court found them guilty of forging school diplomas to enable them to register as legislative candidates in the regency, a poll official has said.

Zuhri Hasibuan, the chairman of Aceh General Elections Commission (Aceh KPUD), identified the three on Monday as Tajudin and Azhar from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI- P) and Usman bin Nyak Neh from the Golkar Party.

"This is the first verdict of its kind in the province," Zuhri said.

Following the verdict, the three have been banned from contesting the election, Zuhri said. Of the total 63 poll violations in Aceh, 55 have involved school diploma forgery, he said. -- JP