KONI awaits report from PSSI on collusion scandal
KONI awaits report from PSSI on collusion scandal
JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council has said it would
wait for reports from the All-Indonesian Soccer Federation's
(PSSI) investigating team on collusion between referees and clubs
during last year's Indonesian league.
The council's vice chairman, Arie Sudewo, said yesterday the
council would allow time for the investigating team to look into
allegations of collusion before any action was taken by the
council.
"If the reports are true, it's a very upsetting sports problem
in the country. It will become a major barrier to improving
sports development in the future. I hope the team and the
federation can solve the problem soon," he said.
"If the investigating team finds indications of criminal
activity, then the solution would be to go to court. But since
the investigating process is not finished, we must see the
problem clearly. If a suspect only breaks the organizational
rules, then the federation must punish him. But if a suspect does
something against the law, then the federation can sue him."
The team's secretary, Edi Elison, said Wednesday it had
evidence that an official from PSSI was involved in collusion.
"We learned of this after holding six meetings with referees,
former referees, officials and competition inspectors," Edi said.
Edi refused to name the official but did say that the official
had not been sanctioned because the team was still investigating
the case.
But Edi said that in investigating the case, the team had
asked detectives from city police to help them as observers.
"The city police have assigned Major Ibrahim from the
corruption section to sit in on meetings of the team," Edi said.
Golden Garuda
Meanwhile, Arie said the Golden Garuda task force team would
represent the concept of long-term training on March 5 to reach
the sixth best in Asia at the 2006 Asian Games.
"We hope we'll get input from sports organizations officials
during the meeting. Their input will be accommodated in the
action plans," he said.
"If in the 2002 Asiad in Pusan, South Korea, we can
surprisingly reach the top sixth in the quadrennial event then we
can change the Golden Garuda's target," he added. (yan/lnt)