Indonesian lawmakers allege corruption in tsunami aid administration News
Indonesian lawmakers allege corruption in tsunami aid administration

[JURIST] At a parliamentary hearing on relief efforts, Indonesian lawmakers Friday assailed the government's response to the December 26 tsunami [JURIST news archive], arguing there had been no "significant progress" and demanding a response to claims of corruption. Six months after the disaster, 500,000 people remain homeless and few homes have been rebuilt. Some $162.2 million has disappeared [AAP report] from the $5 billion reconstruction program. The Aceh Emergency Commission aid group has accused regional government officials of padding the number of refugees in their districts to claim more money from relief funds. Indonesian Social Affairs Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah [Jakarta Post profile] said if "people have done this, then the police should arrest them." Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, head of Aceh's newly established reconstruction agency, has hired two international accounting firms to monitor aid funds and prevent corruption. AP has more.