FIFA dan pihak luar mulai turun tangan terhadap PSSI

Exclusive: Call For FIFA Ethics Committee Probe Amidst Indonesian Corruption Crisis

February 25, 2011
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IFA’s Ethics Committee have been asked to intervene in the mounting crisis consuming the Indonesian FA (PSSI).

FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke has been asked to call an Ethics Committee probe after the PSSI failed to prosecute repeated violations of the FIFA ethics code.

Article 15.4 of the FIFA Code of Ethics gives FIFA jurisdiction over national cases “if associations, confederations and other sports organisations fail to prosecute such infringements or fail to prosecute them in compliance with the fundamental principles of law.”

The letter to Valcke – seen by INSIDER and copied in to Claudio Sulser, chairman of the FIFA Ethics Committee – was signed by Sukawi Sutarip, Chairman of the Central Java Province of the PSSI, on behalf of other concerned members of the PSSI.

The call comes amidst mounting concern that the PSSI’s disgraced president Nurdin Halid is attempting to manipulate the electoral process for forthcoming presidential elections.

First elected to the PSSI presidency in 2003, Halid won re-election four years ago despite serving the first of two prison sentences whilst president. Soon after winning re-election he was convicted of the illegal trade of foodstuffs donated by Vietnam following the 2005 tsunami that devastated parts of Indonesia. Halid served a further 17 months in prison, running the PSSI from his cell.

Yesterday INSIDER revealed the full extent of allegations Sutarip has made against Halid and his running of the PSSI. These were put to FIFA Vice President, Geoff Thompson, who chairs FIFA’s Associations Committee, which meets next Tuesday.

The allegations include:

- Convictions for criminal activity, in breach of FIFA’s ethics code.

- Violation of principles of football’s political neutrality, in breach of FIFA statutes.

- An “abysmal” record of mismanagement of both the PSSI and Indonesian football.

- Manipulation of the electoral process.

Sutarip enclosed a copy of his letter to Geoff Thompson, chairman of FIFA’s Associations Committee, adding that he remains “totally available” for further testimony or further enquiries.

INSIDER contacted Valcke earlier this week about the correspondence, but he declined to comment.

FIFA’s Ethics Committee are empowered to investigate independently of the FIFA Executive Committee. There have been suggestions from well-placed Zurich sources that certain Exco members have in the past blocked attempts to clean up the PSSI to protect allies in Indonesia.

These latest revelations come as protests at the PSSI headquarters in central Jakarta reached their third day.

Hundreds of Indonesian fans gathered at the Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta. On Wednesday they padlocked the PSSI headquarters and made their way to the Indonesian Sports Ministry, where they handed over the key to sports minister, Andi Mallarangeng.

The key was described as a symbol of the protesters’ trust in Mallarangeng to resolve their disagreements with the PSSI.

Local media reported pro-Halid protesters being bussed in to the scene by “co-ordinators”, who paid them around $5 expenses. Anti-PSSI protesters reportedly chased them away.

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