Maluku official stands trial in refugee aid abuse case<\/p>\n
M. Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post, Ambon<\/p>\n
The Ambon District Court opened on Friday the trial of a senior
\nMaluku social welfare official charged with misappropriating some
\n1,975 tons of rice worth Rp 4.1 billion (US$455,555) in refugee
\naid.<\/p>\n
The defendant, Husni Lessy, the head of organizational
\nguidance and social assistance, approved rice distributions to
\norganizations unentitled to the aid from January to September
\n2002, the court heard.<\/p>\n
The rice, which should have been given to thousands of
\nrefugees who had fled during the three years of sectarian
\nconflict that erupted in early 1999, were released by the Maluku
\nlogistics agency (Dolog) via 170 delivery orders issued by Husni.<\/p>\n
Every time Husni issued a delivery order, he pocketed at least
\nRp 1 million to Rp 2 million in \"commission\" from each of the 170
\nauthorized social welfare organizations and foundations,
\nprosecutor Fauzi Marasabessy told the court.<\/p>\n
Fauzi said the illegal distributions cost the state up to Rp
\n4.1 billion in losses, in addition to the Rp 170 million in
\nunder-the-table fees retained by the defendant.<\/p>\n
Reading out an eight-page indictment, Fauzi said the defendant
\nhad no authority to deliver rice aid from Dolog, unless he had
\nbeen appointed to the task specifically by the Maluku disaster
\nmanagement task force.<\/p>\n
Husni should have also obtained approval from the provincial
\nsocial welfare office head at the time, Isack Umarella, before
\ndistributing the rice, unless his superior was away or the
\nsituation was considered an emergency, Fauzi said.<\/p>\n
\"Without procuring the office head's consent, the defendant
\nendorsed aid requests by issuing dispositions and signing
\ndelivery orders to channel the rice,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He added Husni had not verified the eligibility of the 170
\norganizations and foundations for the rice aid, and it turned out
\nthat the organizations in question had embezzled the food aid and
\ndid not distribute them to refugees.<\/p>\n
However, several organizations reportedly issued delivery
\norders by Husni denied receiving rice from the Maluku social
\nwelfare office. These included the Lamatoka Foundation, the
\nTorihua Foundation, the Multi-Dimensional Peoples Non-
\ngovernmental Organization, the Guna Rakyat Foundation, the
\nAnugerah Sejahtera Foundation and the Sapalewa Ambon Families
\nAssociation.<\/p>\n
Former welfare office head Isack, speaking to The Jakarta Post
\non Friday, confirmed the misuse of the 2002 refugee rice aid.<\/p>\n
Isack said he had not been notified by Husni about the
\ndistribution of rice aid to the organizations and foundations.<\/p>\n
\"I just learned of it after receiving a report from others
\nthat the rice had been distributed by a certain official at my
\noffice without my consent,\" said Isack, who now heads the Maluku
\npeople's empowerment agency.<\/p>\n
He added that after he became aware that 1,970 tons of aid
\nrice had been distributed, he immediately instructed Dolog not to
\nrelease the remaining 3,000 tons from its warehouse.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/maluku-official-stands-trial-in-refugee-aid-abuse-case-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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