Corruption puts an end to new schools

Corruption puts an end to new schools

BANDUNG, West Java: Japan's Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund
(OECF) has decided to stop financial assistance it was providing
to the West Java office of the education and culture ministry
because the funds have been misused, Antara reported yesterday.

The OECF has stopped its Rp 30 billion assistance program for
building 30 secondary schools across the province after
irregularities in the use of the funds were discovered, head of
the provincial education and culture office Thamrin Gunardi told
provincial legislators on Wednesday.

Gunardi said the OECF assistance was divided into eight
packages, seven of which had already been received.

Funds worth Rp 3.3 billion have allegedly been embezzled from
the first seven packages, he said.

He also noted that RP 923 million of the Rp 4.3 billion eighth
package was released but did not reach the appointed contractor.

Gunardi said they suspected the funds were embezzled by the
project's chief, identified as Oman Suherman. He has been fired
from his post.