Foster parents' funds safe

BALIKPAPAN, East Kalimantan: Chairperson of the National Foster Parents Drive, Halimah Trihatmodjo, says the money that the movement has raised from across the country is safe and is deposited at the state-owned Bank Rakyat Indonesia.

Halimah said the money was not deposited at Bank Andromeda, one of the 16 banks liquidated on Nov. 1 which was partly owned by her husband, Bambang Trihatmodjo. Bambang is President Soeharto's second son.

Halimah said here yesterday all of the movement's branches deposited their money in the same bank. She did not say how much the movement has raised, but East Kalimantan alone has collected Rp 1.5 billion (US$454,545) from the public since last year.

"I'd like to clarify the rumors that have been circulating (that the money is lost along with the liquidation of Bank Andromeda)," she said.

President Soeharto launched the drive last year to enable six million children from poor families to attend school. (42)