Tanjungpinang DPRD Member Rini Pratiwi Sued 1 Year In Prison For Fake Diploma Case

The defendant Rini Pratiwi after attending a trial in the case of a fake diploma at the Tanjungpinang District Court, Riau Islands. (Ogen)

JAKARTA - The Public Prosecutor (JPU) of the Tanjungpinang Kejari has demanded Rini Pratiwi, a member of the DPRD for Tanjungpinang City, Riau Islands Province, who is accused of a fake diploma case, with a one-year prison sentence and a fine of Rp100 million and a subsidiary of six months in prison.

Prosecutor Ardiansyah assessed that the defendant was found guilty of committing a criminal act using an inappropriate or false title. The defendant's actions violated Article 68 paragraph 3 in conjunction with Article 21 paragraph 4 of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 20 of 2003 concerning the National Education System.

"Demanding the defendant to be sentenced to one year in prison, the defendant is also required to pay a fine of Rp100 million and a subsidiary of six months in prison," said the public prosecutor in the trial at the Tanjungpinang District Court, reported by Antara, Tuesday, July 13.

The prosecutor also explained things that incriminate the defendant, namely that the defendant was involved in the trial and did not admit his actions. Meanwhile, the defendant has never been convicted.

In response to these demands, the defendant through his legal advisor stated that he would present his defense in writing.

Meanwhile, the Chief Judge of the Tanjungpinang District Court, Boy Syailendra, postponed the trial until another week with the agenda of the defendant's defense.

"The trial will continue on Wednesday, July 21, 2021," said the Chief Justice of the Panel of Judges.

Previously in the prosecutor's indictment, the defendant completed his master's degree at the University of Keangan 45 Jakarta on December 10, 2014, by obtaining a Master's degree in Management, Concentration in Educational Management.

Furthermore, the defendant registered as a prospective member of the Tanjungpinang DPRD to the Tanjungpinang General Election Commission (KPU) using the title M.Pd.

Prior to the determination as a candidate by the Tanjungpinang KPU, the defendant proposed a change in his academic degree where the defendant originally used the M.Pd title and then changed it to M.MPd.

Furthermore, in the Pileg contestation, the defendant was elected as a member of the Tanjungpinang DPRD, in the KPU's decision letter regarding the determination of the elected candidate for the Tanjungpinang DPRD member in 2019, the name of the defendant Rini Pratiwi with the academic title used was MM.Pd.

Until the defendant was reported by witness Pandi Ahmad Simangunsong to the Tanjungpinang Police, the defendant was still using the academic title MM.Pd.

Based on the study carried out, the title used by the defendant should be the abbreviation MM, not M.Pd or MM.Pd. The female politician from PKB was named a suspect in the fake diploma case by the Tanjungpinang Police on Tuesday, October 20, 2020.