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Soccer Association of Indonesia acting chief named suspect, given travel ban
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Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) acting chief Joko Driyono (left) and PSSI secretary-general Ratu Tisha Destria arrive at the Jakarta Police headquarters on Jan. 24 for questioning in relation to an ongoing match-fixing case. (The Jakarta Post/Seto Wardhana)
T
he National Police’s antimatch-fixing task force has named Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) acting chief Joko Driyono a suspect and banned him from traveling overseas.
The squad’s media relations officer, Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono, said Friday night that Joko’s status was confirmed following a search of his apartment at Taman Rasuna’s Tower 9 in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Thursday night.
“[We] officially named Pak Joko Driyono a suspect on Thursday,” said Argo, who is also the Jakarta Police spokesperson, as quoted by Antara.
Starting Friday, Joko is also banned for 20 days from traveling overseas.
The search was conducted in regard to an ongoing investigation over match-fixing allegations in Indonesian soccer leagues.
From the search, the team confiscated a laptop, soccer match documents, a bank account book, a credit card, cash money and nine mobile phones.
Previously, Joko attended a questioning at the Jakarta Police headquarters on Jan. 24 as a witness.
The reputation of soccer in the country took a hit after former Persiba Banjarnegara manager Lasmi Indaryani made a report on a scandal that occurred in the third-tier Liga 3.
Lasmi initially revealed that actions were taken by PSSI officials during a live-airing of the television show Mata Najwa last December. Lasmi alleged that PSSI disciplinary committee member Dwi Irianto and a former member of the referee committee, Johar Ling Eng, were involved in match-fixing practices to boost Persiba’s standing in Liga 3.
Dwi and Johar Ling Eng were named suspects in the case. Prior to Joko’s new legal status, the task force also named three others suspects. To date, 15 suspects have been named in the growing case.
In response to the allegation, the PSSI said Joko’s new legal status had nothing to do with match fixing.
“The allegation is that [he] entered a sealed-off area at Rasuna Office Park in Kuningan, Jakarta, some time ago,” said head of the PSSI legal committee Gusti Randa, according to the association’s website pssi.org.
Gusti referred to the sealing off of the inactive PT Liga Indonesia, which operated the Indonesian soccer league – then known as the Indonesian Super League – from 2009 to 2011, at Rasuna Office Park on Jan. 31. On Feb. 1, the police continued their investigation by conducting a search of the Kuningan office.
“[The suspect naming] has nothing to do with match fixing and the PSSI, but with the action,” he added.
