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SPORTS SATURDAY, JULY 19, 2014 Indonesia ex-sports minister jailed in $40m graft case JAKARTA: Indonesia’s former sports minister was jailed in the capital Jakarta, chief judge Haswandi said that Mallarangeng, 51, is the latest in a string of senior fig- for four years yesterday over a $40-million corruption Mallarangeng, who was sports and youth minister, had ures from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s case, the latest sentencing to have hit the popularity of been proven guilty of corruption and abuse of power. Democratic Party to become embroiled in graft scan- the outgoing government. He received kickbacks through his brother, and was dals in one of the world’s most corrupt countries. Andi Mallarangeng, who had been considered an also found to have enriched other people and several The treasurer and chairman from Yudhoyono’s party up-and-coming politician, accepted more than companies in the corrupt scheme, said the judge, who have both been linked to them, while the religion min- $700,000 in bribes to favour a particular bidder to con- like many Indonesians goes by one name. ister-who is from a different party-quit his post in May struct a sports stadium on the main island of Java, “His deeds was against the government program in over corruption. The flood of scandals contributed to a according to prosecutors. eradicating the corruption, collusion and nepotism,” huge fall in support for the Democratic Party at legisla- The stadium was supposed to be a first-class train- the judge said. As well as the four-year jail term, tive elections in April, when their support halved to ing centre for Indonesian athletes but its construction Mallarangeng was also ordered to pay a fine of 200 mil- around 10 percent. Yudhoyono steps down in October was never completed after it became bogged down in lion rupiah ($17,000) or serve an extra two months in after a decade in power. Indonesia is ranked 114th out corruption, with the loss to the state estimated at jail. However the sentence was shorter than the 10 of 177 countries and territories in Transparency around $40 million, according to prosecutors. years demanded by prosecutors. International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. A number At Friday’s hearing in a special anti-corruption court Mallarangeng said he would file an appeal. one ranking means the least corrupt. — AFP Pakistan to send 62-member team to Games KARACHI: A Pakistani court yesteriday said a group of athletes picked to participate in next week’s Commonwealth Games are free to attend the event following a long-standing tussle between two rival factions of the Pakistan Olympic Association. The government reversed its backing to a faction opposed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last week, paving the way for Friday’s court order. “A 62-member squad will leave for Scotland to feature in the Commonwealth Games on Monday and we got a final go ahead,” Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) director general Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera told media. The 20th Commonwealth Games are scheduled from July 23 to Aug 3 in Glasgow, Scotland. SEOUL: A woman walks past posters of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games at a subway station in Seoul yesterday. North Korea threatened to pull Pakistan will participate in eight out of September’s Asian Games in South Korea, blaming Seoul for the breakdown of talks on Pyongyang’s participation. — AFP sports — badminton, boxing, gymnastics, shooting, swimming, table tennis, weightlifting and North Korea threatens wrestling. Pakistan has competed in 11 of the 19 previous Commonwealth Games, from 1954. Its most suc- boycott of Asian Games cessful Games have been the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, where it was 4th in the overall rankings by winning eight gold Talks end with no agreement for another round medals. Pakistan’s most successful SEOUL: North Korea Yesterday threatened to According to KCNA, the North Korean side the outcome of the meeting, but a government sport in the Games has been pull out of next month’s Asian Games in South saw the South’s attitude as a “deliberate act” to official who declined to be identified said Seoul wrestling where they won 37 Korea, blaming Seoul for the breakdown of talks scupper the talks. “It clarified that if the South had been mystified by the North’s “unilateral medals, 20 of which have been on Pyongyang’s participation. side insists on such a defiant attitude, it will fun- walkout”. gold. The North’s official KCNA news agency said damentally re-examine its participation in the “We never raised any issue with their num- Pakistan won two gold medals the talks in the border truce village of Games,” it said. The Asian Games are to be held bers. We just wanted to know the breakdown of in wrestling, one silver (also in Panmunjom on Thursday had turned sour fol- from September 19 to October 4 in the South the delegation and the cheerleaders’ group,” the wrestling) and two bronze medals lowing what it suggested was the intervention Korean port city of Incheon. official told reporters. in boxing at the last Games held in of the presidential Blue House in Seoul. The North said in May it would send about He confirmed that the South had mentioned New Delhi in 2010. After a long delay, the South began the after- 150 athletes, and later that they would be following international standards over billing Field Hockey, Pakistan’s nation- noon session with a series of “absurd” demands accompanied by a cheering squad. The expenses, but stressed that the issue was still al game, will be missing in this that overturned everything agreed in the morn- Panmunjom meeting was ostensibly aimed at open to negotiation. Games as the country’s federation ing, KCNA said. hashing out the practicalities of how the North’s “North Korea is distorting what happened as As well as raising concerns over the number delegation will travel to Incheon and where it a negotiating tactic,” he added. Because the failed to send its entry in time of North Korean athletes and cheerleaders, it will be accommodated. 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a ceasefire because of the ongoing tussle sought to place restrictions on the size of the It was the first meeting between the two rather than a peace treaty, the two Koreas tech- between the factions of the POA. North Korean flag to be displayed at the Asiad, sides at Panmunjom for five months, and comes nically remain at war. Pakistan’s main hopes will the agency said. Another apparent point of con- at a time of simmering tensions following an Official contact is minimal and movement again be on wrestlers Azhar tention was who would foot the bill for the unusually extended series of North Korean rock- across the heavily-militarised border extremely Hussain and Muhammad Inam. Northern delegation during its stay in South et and missile tests. The talks ended with no restricted. Hussain won a gold and a silver Korea. Seoul reportedly wants to break from its agreement for another round. Pyongyang boycotted the 1988 Olympics in while Inam won a gold in New tradition of financially supporting visiting sport- Seoul but sent athletes and cheerleaders to the Delhi. —AFP ing delegations from the North, to move into South Korea ‘mystified’ 2002 Asian Games in South Korea’s southern line with international sporting standards. South Korea has yet to comment formally on port city of Busan. —AFP.

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