Victim Support funds `siphoned' off.

(From The Dominion Post)

Byline: ALLEY Oskar

A MURDER victim's family desperate to attend the court case are appalled at claims that nearly $600,000 of money earmarked for supporting victims has been "siphoned" off into restructuring.

National Party MP Tony Ryall claimed in Parliament yesterday that the government-funded Victim Support agency had used unspent money set aside for victims to pay staff wages.

It also emerged yesterday that Victim Support was itself a victim of funding problems after its first national fundraising appeal late last year lost money.

The Cabinet later approved Victim Support transferring $580,000 of …