Kurniawan faces sanction over alleged drug use

JAKARTA (JP): The Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) will sanction Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto from PSM Makassar soccer club on Friday after he failed to explain his alleged use of shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) last month.

The chairman of the association's disciplinary commission, Andi Darussalam Tabusalla, said in Surabaya on Sunday he would give Kurniawan one more opportunity to meet with the commission before Friday to appeal the decision.

"We will send a letter to Kurniawan on Monday to ask him to make his appeal before Friday, when we decide on the sanction," he was quoted by Antara news agency as saying. However, he did not specify what sanction the commission would hand Kurniawan.

"I will treat this case fairly, although I have an attachment to PSM. This drug case must be completely resolved if we want to move ahead with the development of national soccer," he said.

Darussalam made the statement after meeting with Mursyid Effendi from the Persebaya soccer club in the Regent Hotel in Malang on Saturday night. The commission originally invited Kurniawan and his teammate Kuncoro to attend the meeting to explain themselves, but neither player showed.

Darussalam said he and other members of his team, including PSSI medical commission head Sonny L. Tobing and anti-doping task force secretary Eddi Elison, were only able to gather information on the case from Mursyid, who arrived at the hotel with his manager Karwoto and Hartono.

He said Mursyid insisted the shabu-shabu belonged to Kurniawan. "We will accept Mursyid's confession and sanction Kurniawan," Darussalam said.

He said he did not know why Kurniawan and Kuncoro failed to appear at the hotel, but he suspected both players' intent was to avoid the meeting.

Darussalam added that he had difficulty contacting PSM manager Kadir Halid in Malang, where PSM was scheduled to play local team Persema in their Bank Mandiri national soccer league match on Sunday. "We're very disappointed with his attitude, which appears to despise PSSI."

He accused PSM officials of not taking the drug case seriously, even though it involved their players, adding that he would ask PSSI chairman Agum Gumelar to take stern measure against PSM.

Kuncoro admitted earlier this month that he took shabu-shabu in the room he was sharing with Kurniawan at the Weta Hotel in Surabaya prior to their match against Petrokimia Gresik on April 11.

Kuncoro said he was persuaded by Mursyid to take the drugs, but Mursyid said it was Kurniawan who encouraged him to use the shabu-shabu. Kurniawan has refuted Mursyid's statement. (ivy)