Villagers report officials to police

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

Residents of Cibodas village in Rumpin district, Bogor regency, West Java, reported the village chief and other officials to the Bogor Police on Sunday for embezzling fuel compensation funds and intimidation.

One resident, Umar, said village officials deducted Rp 100,000 (US$10) from the Rp 300,000 eligible families were meant to receive after fuel prices were raised earlier in the year.

"There are 547 of us entitled to receive fuel compensation funds. We all received the funds from village officials in October, but we only got Rp 200,000," he said.

The central government implemented a program to provide cash assistance for the most vulnerable families after fuel prices were raised in October.

Some 17 million families across the country were to receive Rp 100,000 per month. The first disbursement took place in October, with each family receiving Rp 300,000 for a period of three months. The second disbursement is scheduled for January 2006.

Umar said village officials told the families Rp 100,000 was deducted from their assistance to pay for identity cards and administrative fees.

He said the officials also forced residents to sign blank pieces of paper and threatened them not to pursue the matter.

"The officials told us to tell people they only deducted Rp 25,000 not Rp 100,000," Umar claimed.

Concerned officials would deduct another Rp 100,000 from the next disbursement in January, residents filed a complaint against the village chief, identified as Ukat Sukatma, with the Bogor Council and the Bogor Police.

Bogor councillor Bayu Syah Johan voiced support for the residents, saying if officials did deduct money from the fuel compensation funds the authorities would have to take action.

"Making an identity card only costs Rp 5,000 each. So, Rp 100,000 is too much. Besides, we heard from residents they already have identity cards," he said.

Bayu, who is a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), demanded the police investigate the complaint and prevent similar cases in the future.