No national congress needed to change Tanri, says KONI

No national congress needed to change Tanri, says KONI

JAKARTA (JP): National Sports Council (KONI) secretary-general
Rudolf S Warouw said on Monday there was no need for the
Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) to call a national congress
in the wake of Pelti chairman Tanri Abeng being named a suspect
in the Bank Bali scandal.

Pelti spokesman Benny Mailili said on Monday none of the
association's officials were disturbed by news that Tanri had
been named a suspect in the scandal, and there had been no
requests to meet with him for clarification.

Attorney General's Office spokesman Soehandoyo said on Friday
an investigative team led by Chairul Imam had found "enough
preliminary evidence" to name Tanri, a former state minister of
the empowerment of state enterprises, and Bank Indonesia
executive Erman Munzir as suspects in the Rp 540 billion (US$75
million) scandal.

Warouw said that although Tanri was named a suspect in the
scandal, he had not been proven guilty.

"If Pelti wants to appoint a caretaker to enable Tanri to
concentrate on his case, it is their decision. But they don't
have to hold a special national congress.

"I believe Pelti's programs won't be influenced by the absence
of its chairman," he said.

Benny said: "We are coolheaded here. We met Pak Tanri during a
meeting before Idul Fitri to decide to hold a post-Idul Fitri
gathering here on Jan. 22. He did not even show up to the
gathering."

Benny said Pelti's provincial chapters should take the
initiative of asking for a special national congress if they
wished to elect a new chairman.

However, chapter 9, section 2 of Pelti's statute states that
if the chairman can not complete their term, they may be replaced
by any of the association's other 12 officials.

"Or he can appoint a caretaker to continue his duties. Another
way is to return the mandate to the congress and let the members
of the congress name a new chairman," Benny said.

He also said that none of the association's chapters had
requested a special national congress. The congress must be
demanded by at least two-thirds of Pelti's 26 chapters.

"The chapters could demand a substitute for Tanri if he quits
his post due to his involvement in the scandal. In this case, we
have not received such a request from our regional chapters," he
said.

Warouw expressed hope Tanri could resolve the difficulties he
was currently facing and concentrate on developing tennis in the
country.

"We are very sorry about his troubles and we hope that such a
scandal won't recur in the future. KONI doesn't have the
authority to control (sports officials) in their work. We can
only supervise their activities in the sports organizations," he
said.

Tanri is not the first sports official to become embroiled in
scandal. KONI's treasurer was also named a suspect in the Bank
Bali scandal, and last year then attorney general Andi Muhammad
Ghalib was alleged to have received money from businessmen The
Nin King and Prajogo Pangestu, whom the Attorney General's Office
was investigating at the time.

Separately, Warouw said KONI would send a letter to the
Ministry of Finance requesting that import taxes on sports
equipment be waived. Currently, sports equipment are classified
as luxury items and assessed a 200 percent import tax.

KONI internal auditor chairman I Gede Putu Ary Suta will lead
a special team which will meet with the minister of finance to
discuss the matter, he said. (ivy/yan)