Officials accused of embezzling aid funds for Poso refugees

Officials accused of embezzling aid funds for Poso refugees

Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Poso, Central Sulawesi

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla has urged
the public to report any diversion in the distribution of welfare
funds for refugees in Poso, Central Sulawesi.

"The public should report to officials if they find any
irregularities in the provision of welfare aid, so that we can
take stern measures immediately against the perpetrators," he
said in Poso recently.

He received reports that welfare aid for refugees in the
sectarian conflict in Poso (totaling Rp 2.5 million per family)
had been diverted by unscrupulous parties, including several
corrupt officials at the social welfare office in the Poso
regency administration.

Data from the Poso Reconciliation Task Force (Pokja-RKP)
stated that from a total of 18,070 refugee families in Poso, only
10,440 were already registered and had already received aid from
the government, while 7,630 families had, as of now, not received
aid.

Besides that, according to coordinator of the task force
Darwis Waru, an increase totaling 4,802 families was found. "This
has become a time bomb for the government in Poso," he said.

The increase was admitted by Poso Social Welfare office head,
Anwar M. Ali.

Before departing for the Haj pilgrimage several days ago, he
said that there was an increase in the total number of families.
Earlier data showed that there were only 18,070 families, but now
it had increased to 22,872 families.

The increase, he said, was because the refugees were
registered in two villages and there were suspicions that village
heads and other parties in Poso had falsified the list.

As a result, when aid was channeled, a family could receive
aid twice. "This is what has made the numbers swell," he said.

Poso Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Abdi Dharma Sitepu admitted
that the police had questioned 15 witnesses and three had been
identified as suspects in the case.

He did not specify the identities of the suspects and
witnesses. He said only that one of them was an official at the
Poso regency administration.

But The Jakarta Post discovered that the main suspect
was named R, a second-echelon officer at the social welfare
office in Poso, responsible for channeling food funds to refugees
in several locations such as Napu, North Lore subdistrict, and
the Togean archipelago.

After a few months, the suspect was observed in a newly
acquired Kijang van and a new house in Palu.

R was also reckoned to be a suspect due to signature forgery
of the Pandajaya and Mayajaya village heads. He also
counterfeited the rubber stamps of the two village offices and
made a fictional list of refugees.

"There were several incidents in which he was implicated, but
I haven't clarified them and don't want to announce his name yet.
But, when the time is right, I will make it public," said Abdi.

Two other persons were N.A, a treasurer and H.S., a cashier.
Both work at the Poso Social Welfare office.

Besides the officials, several people were thought to be
involved in the embezzlement of social and welfare funds of Rp
150,000 to Rp 300,000 per family.

Fund embezzlement also took place in Malei village, Lage
subdistrict, about 25 kilometers east of Poso city by a person
named S.R.M, 35. She works as a cook for military personnel at
the village.

"The embezzlement took place from December last year.
Residents can take the aid only if they're willing to make an
unauthorized payment of Rp 150,000 to Rp 300,000 according to
their status," said Darwis.

Irrespective of all of this, the coordinating minister
asserted that the law was not being used discriminately against
anyone, regardless of whom they were.

"Anyone who is guilty, anyone diverting aid, will be punished,
because the aid is intended for those who are suffering."