Govt to take action against corruptors in Aceh<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government pledged on Thursday to take stern measures against
\nofficials who misused humanitarian aid allocated by the state for
\nAceh but said the amount of losses was relatively small.<\/p>\n
\"We will bring the alleged corruptors to court, although we
\nhave not found that the amount of the misused fund was
\nsignificant,\" Coordinating Minister for Political and Security
\nAffairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told reporters after a meeting
\nat his office.<\/p>\n
The meeting was also attended by National Police chief Gen.
\nDa'i Bachtiar and martial law administrator in Aceh Maj. Gen.
\nEndang Suwarya.<\/p>\n
Suwarya said the irregularities occurred in several districts
\nin Aceh that should each have received Rp 2.5 million (US$294) in
\nhumanitarian aid, but only received Rp 1.5 million. Some of the
\ndistricts did not receive any part of the aid.<\/p>\n
\"If the state funds do not reach the needy, we will not make
\nany more disbursements,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Suwarya did not provide details as to who was being held
\nresponsible for the misused money.<\/p>\n
On an entirely separate issue, Aceh Police Spokesman Sr. Comr.
\nSayed Hoesainy said police had completed the investigation into
\nSpeaker of the Singkil regental legislature, identified only as
\nU.A., for allegedly swindling Rp 20 million from the state
\nhumanitarian aid and social rehabilitation fund.<\/p>\n
\"We have completed the investigation and will soon submit the
\ndossier to the prosecutors' office,\" Sayed told reporters on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
He said the suspect would be charged with Article 415 of the
\nCriminal Code on abuse of power, which carries a maximum sentence
\nof seven years.<\/p>\n
He said the suspect was involved in the disbursement of state
\nfunds to help flood victims last year.<\/p>\n
\"I wonder how he could have been involved in the disbursement
\nof funds for flood victims,\" he said as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
He added that police had not found any other government
\nofficials involved in the case.<\/p>\n
Non-governmental organization (NGO) the Solidarity for Anti-
\nCorruption Society (SAMAK) earlier reported 392 corruption cases
\nthat remained untouched since last year, causing billions of
\nrupiah in state losses.<\/p>\n
SAMAK chairman Kamal Farza said the high number of corruption
\ncases ranked Aceh as the most corrupt province in the country.<\/p>\n
Kamal said the alleged corruption occurred in the disbursement
\nof Rp 103 billion in humanitarian aid and the social
\nrehabilitation fund for flood victims administered by the Aceh
\nprovincial government.<\/p>\n
The NGO also questioned the use of the Rp 43.7 billion donated
\nby state oil company Pertamina and the alleged mark-up in the
\npurchase of a Rp 8.6 billion cargo boat for Weh island.<\/p>\n
Corruption was also suspected in a humanitarian project worth
\nRp 1 billion in Simeulue regency, in the use of Rp 3.5 billion in
\nPasie Raja district in South Aceh regency, in the use of Rp 2.9
\nbillion donated by the World Bank to the regency, and in the Rp 1
\nbillion airport repairs in Central Aceh.<\/p>\n
The NGO said renovations on the official residence of the Aceh
\nprovincial legislature speaker, which was recorded at Rp 800
\nmillion, and dozens of other projects in the province had been
\nmarked up.<\/p>\n
SAMAK declared the corruption had become worse since Aceh
\nGovernor Abdullah Puteh began directly appointing companies to
\ncarry out the projects, instead of offering open tenders.<\/p>",
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