Former
Chelsea men, Essien and Cole, have come under the spotlight, and could
face a jail sentence in Indonesia after being accused of breaking
immigration laws.
When Essien signed for the club
Former Chelsea FC players, Michael Essien and Carlton Cole could be
jailed for up to five years for breaking Indonesian immigration laws
after playing illegally for Persib Bandung football club.
According to The Sun UK, the government-backed Professional Sports
Agency investigated their move and found the two ex-Premier League stars
did not have the right paperwork.
The club has admitted they narrowly missed the deadline to get the
two former Chelsea men officially registered but claims they were given
permission to play.
Carlton Cole was unveiled as a new Persib Bandung player
The punishment for flouting Indonesian immigrations laws can fines of up to £30,0000 and five years in prison.
And manager Umuh Muchtar claims they are being unfairly persecuted, saying: “That
they are here is a joy for us, they want to raise up Indonesia’s name
in the world. Everybody knows that Essien is a world-class player, not
an illegal immigrant.”
A spokesperson for the immigration authorities said: “They are professionals so they must hold a permit to perform activities in Indonesia."
34-year-old Essien who agreed the 12-month contract with the option
for a further year to continue his playing career in the emerging
league in Indonesia in March, said: “I hope I am the prelude to
other world players moving to Indonesia. Hopefully this is a good
beginning for Indonesian football and also for Persib.”
Meanwhile 34-year-old Cole, after a year in America with Sacramento
Republic, signed a one year contract with the club, which is spending
big in an attempt to become a major force on Asian football.