Eradicate Soccer Mafia to Its Roots

KOMPAS/ADRIAN FAJRIANSYAH

Indonesian Soccer Community coordinator Emerson Yuntho (white) and members, Ignatius Indro (left), display banners against a soccer match-fixing syndicate after being received by representatives of the Soccer Antimafia Task Force at the General Criminal Directorate of the Jakarta Police on Friday (28/12/2018). During the meeting, the Indonesia Soccer Community supported the task force\'s efforts to eradicate the organized crime group. The four people who have been arrested on allegations of match fixing are believed to be merely subordinates. The task force is also urged to take strict actions against the larger actors in control, namely the bookies.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS -- Recent breakthroughs made by the National Police’s match-fixing task force have brought forth a new hope for clean and high-quality soccer competition in Indonesia. Hopefully, the task force will be able to catch the big fishes, instead of just the small fries, of the country’s soccer mafia.

Public praise and support continues to be showered upon the National Police’s match-fixing task force. In its first week alone, between Dec. 21 and 28, the task force arrested four people, namely Johar Lin Eng, Priyanto, Anik Yuni Artikasari and Dwi Irianto aka Mbah Putih.

However, a long road lies ahead to cleanse Indonesian soccer from its deep-rooted mafia as the four suspects are believed to be merely “small fries” acting as field runners.

“Only the runners and stooges have been arrested. Above them, there are the bookies and godfathers. It is them that must be hunted and arrested,” Youth and Sports Ministry secretary Gatot S. Dewa Broto said.

Gatot said that he understood how soccer match fixing worked as he was a member of the Team 9, the government’s soccer mafia eradication team, in 2015. The team had gathered data and information on match-fixing from various sources, including from former soccer player and coach Bambang Suryo.

Runners are tasked with controlling soccer club managers, officials, coaches, players and referees. They approach these people over a long period of time. If they fail in getting close to managers, club officials or coaches, they will try to approach players or referees. Usually, these runners try to approach defenders and forward players, who highly influence match results.

Based on Bambang’s statement, match fixing first became widespread in Indonesia in 1995. On June 16, 2015, Bambang was accompanied by the press legal aid foundation (LBH), the Jakarta LBH and the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) in reporting match fixing allegations to the National Police’s criminal investigation division. He gave evidence of match fixings between 2000 and 2015 and four of his banking accounts.

However, the move, which gained support through the social media hashtag #IndonesiaVSMafiaBola (#IndonesiaVSSoccerMafia), went nowhere. Previously, another attempt to eradicate match fixing also went nowhere with the Soccer Association of Indonesia’s (PSSI) antibribery task force in 2010.

A new hope

Now, with the National Police’s active role through its match-fixing task force, there is new hope for clean soccer competition in the country. Due to its swift action, the task

force under National Police internal affairs bureau chief Brig. Gen. Hendro Pandowo has been showered with praise.

The latest support came from the Indonesian Football Community (IFC) and the Indonesian National Team Supporters Association (PSTI). On Friday, they gave their support to the task force at the Jakarta Police’s general crimes investigation directorate.

IFC coordinator Emerson Yuntho said that the police investigation should not be superficial. He said that, in the bigger scheme of things, Johan and the other suspects were merely runners. Emerson said that he alleged that, above them, there should be bookies who control the runners. The police should go deeper with its investigation.

“We believe that the police should work together with the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center [PPATK] to investigate the banking accounts of soccer club officials, referees and player. Soccer mafia is deeply rooted from the topmost levels down to the bottom-most,” Emerson said.

National Police Commission (Kompolnas) member Poengky Indarti said that she hoped the task force’s swift action would continue long after its establishment. “The task force must work professionally by thoroughly investiagting and resolving the law enforcement process. Criminal process is required to change the national soccer climate that has undermined the moral and sportsmanship, all for the sake of money,” she said.

Suspects’ roles

The National Police has named four suspects, namely former PSSI executive committee member and Central Java chapter head Johar Lin Eng (Tjan Ling Eng), former PSSI referee commission member Priyanto aka Mbah Pri, Anik Yuni Artikasari and former PSSI disciplinary commission member Dwi Irianto aka Mbah Putih.

Match-fixing task force media team head Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said on Friday that Johar was alleged to have fixed the group divisions for the elimination rounds of Liga 2 and Liga 3 in Central Java. “J is from Central Java. He can determine which clubs goes into which group,” Argo said.

Clubs having agreements with J will be arranged to get into easy groups. “He can also determine the day and time of the match and everything else,” Argo continued.

Afterwards, Johar would communicate with Priyanto. Of the 35 referees available, Priyanto knew who could be approached for match-fixing deals.

The investigation began with a police report filed by Banjarnegara’s Persibara soccer club manager Lasmi Indaryani in early December. Based on the report, the match-fixing task force arrested Priyanto and Anik Yuni Artikasari for having requested money from Lasmi and promised a promotion for Persibara from Liga 3 to Liga 2.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo said that Dwi Irianto was arrested at a hotel in Yogyakarta on Friday. “Dwi’s role was similar to Tjan Lin’s, namely as a financier. The four suspects served as entry points for the task force to reveal match fixing in Liga 2 and Liga 3,” Dedi said.

Despite the ongoing investigation being linked to a number of matches in Liga 2 and Liga 3, the task force will also strive to reveal alleged match fixings in Liga 1, Indonesia’s premier soccer league.

After a questioning by the police’s match-fixing task force on Friday, PSSI secretary general Ratu Tisha Destria said that the PSSI would establish an ad hoc committee prior to its congress on Jan. 20. Tisha said that the PSSI would improve itself and cleanse Indonesia’s soccer scene. (E06/SAN/JOG/DRI)