HEADLINES:
R/€ 
R/£ A run for quake money
June 13, 2008 Edition 3
BEIJING: Staff at a bank in China's quake zone used relief funds to buy themselves US brand running shoes, the country's audit office said yesterday.
A branch of ICBC, the biggest bank in China, in quake-hit Mianyang city, bought 56 pairs of Nike running shoes for its workers. The branch used 28 500 yuan (R33 000) to buy the shoes at the end of May, and made counterfeit receipts to say it had bought raincoats, rubber boots and umbrellas.
"After the audit investigation revealed this problem, the bank returned the 'special earthquake funds' that were inappropriately used," the report said.
Another investigation revealed that in some areas, text messages about the quake were sent en masse, and were suspected of cheating cellphone users into donating money into bank accounts, the report said.
More than six billion dollars in aid has been donated for quake relief and the government is doing all it can to ensure the money is spent in the correct manner.
© 1999 - 2010 Daily News & Independent Online (Pty) Ltd. All rights reserved.