ATLANTA. Apr 3 An Armenian official paid 600 dollars in fines Wednesday for two wrestlers who left the country after being charged with shoplifting last year, reports

Ara Keyfer an attache for the Armenian Olympic Commi ttee. said Araik Bagdadian and Armen Simonian were pu nished in their native land They were thrown off the country's Olynmic team and must repay the fines

Accused of shoplifting clothing from Rich's at Lenox Square, the men were arrested in August while in town for a pre-Otympic competition.

The two were released on their own recognizance after local Olympic organisers asked Municipal Court Judge Andrew Mickle to free them.

But the next day the pair did not appear at their hearing. and Keyfer told the court they had returned to Armenia

At Wednesday's hearing before Mickle. Keyfer said he was embarrassed because he and the athletes had been told they could leave the country and Keyfer could simply go to court as their representative and pay a fine

Aris Merijanian. an Olympic envoy for the Armenian republic. said the man who gave the athletes that bad information has been removed from his country's Olympic committee

He said the two could try to get back on the Olympic team now that the legal matter is behind them, but it may be too