Refugees' fee stolen

TUAL, Maluku (JP): Humanitarian activists slammed on Saturday the Social Welfare Agency in Southeast Maluku for allegedly swindling approximately Rp 698 million (US$73,500) in meal allowances which were supposed to have been distributed to refugees in the strife-torn regency.

The embezzlement allegedly involved 77 members of the agency's 'Food Task Force', who were also accused of stealing 279.5 tons of rice intended for the refugees, chairman of Karya Kasih non- governmental organization (NGO) Butje Kashiu said as quoted by Antara.

Butje said that the members of the task force had cut the meal allowance by Rp 5,000 for each refugee.

The organization's findings and probes conducted by other NGOs which checked up on the refugees in Kei Kecil and Kei Besar districts showed that each person was only receiving Rp 40,000 per month instead of the official Rp 45,000 per month, and that each person only received 10 kilograms of rice instead of 12 kilograms," he said.

He also alleged that the agency had manipulated refugee data.

"There were only 201 refugee families, or a total of 1,015 refugees, in Southeast Maluku regency last month but the agency said that up to January there were some 59,000 refugees," he said, adding that the rice supplies were most likely sold by the officials to local vendors.

The NGO further urged the government to be more careful in distributing relief and food aid to avoid possible malfeasance. (edt/49)