Minister urges probe into refugee aid embezzlement

Minister urges probe into refugee aid embezzlement

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Palu, Central Sulawesi

Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah called on the North
Sumatra authorities to investigate thoroughly the alleged
embezzlement of funds worth more than Rp 36 billion (about US$4
million) earmarked for Acehnese refugees currently stranded in
temporary camps in the province.

He said North Sumatra Governor T. Rizal Nurdin had to account
for the distribution of the funds to the remaining 4,000 people
who have been taking refuge in Medan and its environs since the
situation in Aceh escalated three years ago.

"The central government has disbursed almost Rp 100 billion to
the provincial administration to resettle a total of 11,000
refugees, and to simultaneously end the refugee problem in the
province. The local government there must be held responsible for
the funds that have not yet been distributed to the remaining
4,000 refugees," he said here on Tuesday.

Bachtiar was accompanying Vice President Hamzah Haz on a visit
to evaluate the implementation of the Malino peace accord in the
once-troubled regency of Poso. Also accompanying the Vice
President were Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Rokhmin
Dahuri, Minister of Religious Affairs Said Agiel Al Munawar and
State Minister for the Empowerment of Small and Medium
Enterprises Ali Marwan Hanan.

At least two refugees have died and several others are in
intensive care in the hospital in Medan after staging a hunger
strike to demand the local government disburse the resettlement
funds. Hundreds of other refugees are now camped out at the North
Sumatra legislative council building after the provincial
administration failed to respond to their demands.

Bachtiar added that many sides, including a number of non-
governmental organizations, had allegedly tried to take financial
advantage of the resettlement program by encouraging the refugees
to participate in demonstrations.

He said the social affairs office, which now comes under the
provincial administration following regional autonomy, had
prepared a database on the number of Acehnese refugees in the
province.

"Of course, the provincial administration has recorded that
there are some 4,000 refugees who have received resettlement
funds. However, some of those camped out at the provincial
legislature building are not refugees as their identities are not
recorded in the database," he said.

He admitted that a number of staffers in the provincial social
affairs office were involved in the embezzlement of the funds and
that they ought to be brought to justice.

According to the resettlement program, refugees are entitled
to a total of Rp 8,750,000 each to build modest homes and to
survive for three months.

"The governor should order the police and the prosecutor's
office in Medan to investigate this corruption," Bachtiar said,
adding that it was intolerable as besides committing crimes, the
corrupt officials were also stealing humanitarian aid earmarked
for refugees.

The minister said further that the refugees would be allowed
to return to their home villages in Aceh if the situation there
improved.

"The government has never prohibited them from returning to
Aceh. But it will be difficult for them to do so as even with the
cessation of hostilities agreement, the situation in the province
has yet to return to normal," he said.