Eight arrested for embezzlement

MANADO, North Sulawesi: North Sulawesi Police arrested on Thursday eight people on suspicion of embezzling Rp 5.4 billion (US$635,294) from a compensation fund under a transmigration program.

The eight people included FL, head of the North Sulawesi Manpower and Transmigration Office, AF, manager of the office's Placement and Empowerment Program, and A.M., A.L.M., KM and RM, members of the committee in charge of distributing the fund.

The eight were arrested after police questioned some 40 witnesses in connection with the case.

North Sulawesi Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Herry Dahana said the case began when the central government disbursed Rp 5.4 billion from the state budget earlier this year to the provincial administration as compensation for land that would be used for a transmigration program.

The land, located in Bolaang Mongondouw regency here, belongs to 143 families of the Ibolian tribe.

The fund was to have been distributed to the families, but it was found that not all of the fund was distributed.

The police suspected that the committee distributing the fund had stolen 15 percent of it for their own gain, Herry said.

He said the police would question the eight suspects and additional witnesses.

"There is a possibility that more people will be arrested," he said. -- Antara

;JP;ASA; ANPAa..r.. Riau-student-across Riau to send students to U.S., Japan JP/5/Across

Riau to send students to U.S., Japan

PEKANBARU, Riau: In order to improve the quality of its human resources, the Riau administration is to send 24 high school graduates on a scholarship program to the U.S. and Japan for undergraduate degrees.

The administration will provide all tuition fees and living costs, calculated at Rp 4.66 billion (US$548,235) for the duration of their studies.

"The money will be taken from the 2003 provincial budget," the Riau governor told reporters on Thursday.

After completing their studies, the students were obligated to return home and help the provincial government in developing Riau, said the governor.

The administration plans on allocating Rp 5.5 billion in its 2004 provincial budget to finance the next group of select students to pursue undergraduate studies in Japan. -- Antara

;JP;ASA; ANPAa..r.. Across-Australia-tourism Aussie travel agents to visit NTB JP/5/Across

Aussie travel agents to visit NTB

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: At least 40 travel agents from Perth, Australia, are slated to visit tourist resorts in West Nusa Tenggara province (NTB), said vice chairman of the Lombok- Sumbawa Tourism Promotions Board Rosa Stuart.

"Their visit to the province reciprocates the visit made by members of the Lombok-Sumbawa Tourism Promotions Board to Perth a few months ago," Stuart said here on Thursday.

The board, chaired by West Nusa Tenggara Vice Governor HB Thamrin Rayes, works to promote the province's tourism industry, both domestically and internationally.

In promoting West Nusa Tenggara's tourist resorts in Perth, the board has established a cooperation with Bali-based Air Paradise, she said, which planned to offer direct flights between Perth and Mataram.

She said the board had also conducted road shows in Jakarta, Surabaya and Yogyakarta to draw more domestic and foreign tourists to the province. -- Antara

;JP;ASA; ANPAa..r.. Across-SESulawesi-land Land allocated for transmigrants JP/5/Across

Land allocated for transmigrants

UNA AHA, Southeast Sulawesi: The Kendari administration has allocated 1,000 hectares of land in Asera, Latoma and Abuki districts toward a transmigration program.

"The land has been prepared to welcome some 500 families," Kendari vice regent Tony Herbiansysh said here on Thursday.

He said the administration had offered the land under the transmigration program on the grounds that the three districts were still scarcely populated.

The transmigration program is one of the key policies initiated during the regime of former president Soeharto.

The policy aims to lower the population density on Java and has met with resistance from regional administrations, which fear that parts of their territories would turn into Javanese colonies.

Local leaders could do nothing to stop the program while Soeharto was in power, but since his ouster in 1998, the policy has rarely been implemented. -- Antara