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