BBC NEWS Oxfam acts over Aceh aid misuse UK-based charity Oxfam says 22 members of staff face disciplinary action after an inquiry into alleged fraud in the Indonesian province of Aceh.
The investigation found evidence of losses of $22,000 (£11,800) at its offices in the province, Oxfam said. In March, Oxfam suspended some of its operations in Aceh pending the inquiry's outcome. It has now resumed full relief work there, it said. Around 130,000 people died in Aceh when the tsunami hit on 26 December 2004. Another 500,000 were left homeless by the disaster The seven-week investigation, which focussed on allegations of fraud at two of Oxfam's offices in Aceh, found evidence money had gone missing. "The fraudulent activities centred on discrepancies between amounts paid to suppliers for goods and the quantity of goods delivered," the charity said. Of the missing money, $20,000 (£10,700) had been recovered, the charity said. 'Gross misconduct' The investigation, while praising Oxfam's procedures, found that "weak management and monitoring systems in certain areas, aggravated by high staff turnover and difficulties with recruitment, created the possibility for fraud to occur". It recommended action against 22 staff members, of whom 10 face possible dismissal for "gross misconduct relating to fraudulent activities". Oxfam said that the amount of money involved represented a "tiny proportion" of the tsunami relief programme in Aceh, but said it hoped the probe showed Oxfam's commitment to high standards of accountability. Barbara Stocking, director of Oxfam Great Britain, said the charity took the issue very seriously and would remain vigilant in the future. "The public who gave so generously should be reassured that the money they donated continues to help change the lives of people who were so devastated by the tsunami," she said in a statement. In December 2005, the charity's "Tsunami Accountability Report" showed the aid effort following the disaster was Oxfam International's largest-ever relief operation. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4977328.stm Published: 2006/05/05 14:15:29 GMT © BBC MMVI ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Everything you need is one click away. Make Yahoo! your home page now. http://us.click.yahoo.com/AHchtC/4FxNAA/yQLSAA/uTGrlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Post message: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] List owner : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
