Officials steal refugees' money

Officials steal refugees' money

PALU, Central Sulawesi: Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar
Chamsah admitted on Wednesday that much of the funds earmarked
for refugees across the country has gone into the pockets of
corrupt local government officials.

"They (local governments) overinflate the number of refugees
in their areas to obtain extra funds from the central
government," he said.

For example, he said, the regent of Atambua in East Nusa
Tenggara, inflated the number of East Timorese refugees in the
area to 80,000 from the actual of 60,000.

"I have referred this case to the provincial government for
proper action so that it will not happen again in the future," he
said.

Chamsah declined to specify on the exact amount of money that
has been embezzled by the corrupt officials or whether those
officials involved would be reprimanded or asked to pay back the
money.

The ministry has sought to change its policy on distribution
of funds for refugees. All reports will have to be prepared by
local offices of social affairs in the future.

According to Chamsah, the central government allocated Rp 1
trillion for the 1.3 million refugees and internally displaced
people (IDPs) across the country.

Most of the displaced people are those who have been displaced
by communal or political conflicts that continue to flare up
since the fall of the authoritarian New Order government in 1998.

Chamsah was in Palu to inspect distribution of relief aid for
refugees in Poso, some 225 km east of Palu. Poso was the scene of
bloody sectarian conflicts which have claimed hundreds of lives.
-- Antara