BRR task force gets 85 public reports on alleged graft

BRR task force gets 85 public reports on alleged graft

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Since its establishment a month ago, a task force assigned to
monitor graft at the Aceh Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Body
(BRR) has received 85 public reports on alleged graft at the
body.

Most of the cases are related to alleged corruption committed
during the tender process that involved private companies, said
the acting chairman of the Antigraft Task Force with the BRR,
Kevin Evans. "We received any reports on alleged graft, be they
involving big or small amounts of money -- be they big or small
cases," said Evans on Wednesday.

Evans said the task force had followed up quickly any reports
on alleged graft cases and, so far, it had settled 37 public
cases.

After the 37 reports were investigated no indications of graft
were found. If any mistakes were made on the part of the BRR
employees, these were merely administrative mistakes, he said.

Evans said the BRR had reprimanded the employees responsible
for the administrative errors.

The task force's acting chairman also said the task force had
uncovered another 10 alleged graft cases, which had been handed
over to the respective divisions of the BRR for follow-up.

"The investigations into the remaining 38 public reports are
underway," said Evans.

He said it was encouraging that in 70 of the total 85 public
reports filed with the task force, the people filing the reports
provided their true identity. This meant that public trust over
the task force was high.

The task force was established on Sept. 13 to monitor alleged
corruption at the BRR. The task force's establishment was
considered important as donor countries reserved little faith in
the country's efforts to fight graft. The establishment was also
crucial in a sense that the BRR managed an enormous amount of
money donated by the international community and by proposing the
task force's establishment, the donor countries saw that it was
necessary to make sure the money was not corrupted.

The task force is provided with operational funds amounting to
Rp 1 billion (US$100,000) a year.

The BRR is an agency assigned to carry out reconstruction and
rehabilitation work in Aceh province following the Dec. 26
tsunami catastrophe. The tsunami left some 170,000 people dead or
missing and 500,000 others homeless.