Officials fired for 'love affairs'

BANYUWANGI, East Java: As many as 48 civil servants in Banyuwangi regency, East Java, had been fired for disciplinary offenses, officials said.

Fifty others were demoted and had suffered financial penalties, Banyuwangi state personnel agency head Suryanto said.

"They have been imposed with sanctions because of their involvement in various cases such as love affairs, having fake diplomas, other crimes and leaving their duties without permission," he said on Monday.

He said the administration had been monitoring its staff.

The supervision had netted more than 250 officials suspected of disciplinary offenses, Suryanto added. "But after conducting cross-checks, we have found only 108 civil servants had been proven to have committed disciplinary offenses."

He said officials from the Banyuwangi education office were the worst offenders.

"At least 67 of its officials have been found guilty and 54 percent of them are teachers from the subdistricts of Pesanggaran, Tegaldlimo, Purwoharjo, Glenmore and Kalibaru." --Antara