Large scale corruption has marred tsunami reconstruction in Aceh
province, with more than US$100 million ( 101.5 million) earmarked
for disaster relief unaccounted for, a legislator and an aid worker
were quoted as saying Friday.
Firdaus Illyas, from aid group Aceh Emergency Commission, told a
parliamentary hearing that graft had occurred in the construction
of emergency housing, Koran Tempo daily reported.
He also said that local officials had dramatically overstated the
number of refugees so as to be able to claim more relief funds _ a
common practice in disaster areas elsewhere in Indonesia, the paper
reported.
Lawmaker A.S. Hikam said 1.2 trillion Indonesian rupiah (US$122.7
million; 101.5 million) of funds had disappeared, Tempo reported.
He gave no more details.
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