Jail term sought for alleged aid thief

AMBON, Maluku: Prosecutors demanded the Ambon District Court here on Friday sentence local government official Abdul Kadir Touwe to seven years in jail for embezzling aid destined for refugees.

Prosecutor Imbabla accused the defendant of causing loses to the state amounting to Rp 2.04 billion (US$240,258).

In a trial session presided over by judge L. Tiwery in Ambon District Court, prosecutor Imbabla said the defendant, who organized the distribution of aid for refugees in Ambon, began stealing the money in 2000.

He was given the authority to manage aid in the form of 1,000 tons of rice, but part of the aid never made it to the refugees.

He was arrested by Maluku Police this year.

The trial was adjourned until next week to hear the defense.

Maluku has been rocked by sectarian conflict since 1999, but the situation largely returned to normal in April this year after the warring Muslim and Christian signed the Malino Peace Accord.

Due to the sectarian conflict, thousands of people were killed and hundreds of thousands of others forced to flee their homes.

Humanitarian aid, including from the government, was delivered to help support the refugees. -- Antara