Court fines 38 soccer hooligans

JAKARTA (JP): Central Jakarta District Court fined yesterday 38 men who were arrested during Saturday's SEA Games soccer final at Senayan Stadium.

Presiding judge Purwanto ordered the men, who were aged between 15 and 40, to pay fines ranging from Rp 2,000 (57 US cents) to Rp 20,000 or serve up to five days in jail.

"Do you want to pay fines or be jailed?" Purwanto asked the defendants. "If you want to go to jail, the police over there are ready for you."

The defendants, who all agreed to pay fines, clapped their hands in response to the judge's decision.

According to Purwanto, some of the men had been arrested for illegally selling entry tickets to the soccer final between Indonesia and Thailand.

"They were found guilty of violating Article 17 of the city's bylaw No. 11/1988 on illegal brokerage," he said.

The SEA Games organizing committee provided free tickets for spectators. But many people took advantage of the situation and sold their tickets to others.

The remaining defendants were found guilty of illegally possessing firecrackers, which was against law No. 10/1932 on firecrackers, the judge said.

One of the defendants, Sugro, was arrested for illegally selling mineral water within the stadium compound and fined Rp 1,500. He chose to pay the fine rather than stay overnight in jail.

The police returned the box of water bottles they had seized from Sugro during the match.

Those in the public gallery, mostly the defendants' relatives, burst into laughter when the judge announced the fines, which were much less than the men's profits.

For example, one of the ticket sellers, Syahrudin Siregar, was ordered to pay Rp 4,000 to the court. But the Rp 22,000 he earned at the match was returned to him after the case.

Syahrudin admitted to selling four free tickets for Rp 8,000 each.

Judge Purwanto urged the defendants to learn from their mistake.

"I hope this is a lesson for you. Don't do it again."

Purwanto said that the fines collected during yesterday's hearing would be sent to the State Treasury.

Police arrested 63 men during the soccer match, including the 38 who appeared in court yesterday.

According to a City Police detective, another 24 men had been released but would be charged and face the same court for damaging seats and the stadium's fence.

The remaining one man was being interrogated at City Police Headquarters, the police officer, who did not want to be named, said.

"He was arrested for repeatedly shouting 'Long live communism!' from the stadium." (jun)