At the Pentagon, overpriced fuel sparks allegations - and denials - of a slush fund

Washington

THE Pentagon has generated almost US$6 billion over the past seven years by charging the armed forces excessive prices for fuel and has used the money - called the "bishop's fund" by some critics - to bolster mismanaged or underfunded military programmes, documents show.

Since 2015, the Defense Department has tapped surpluses from its fuel accounts for US$80 million to train Syrian rebels, US$450 million to shore up a prescription-drug programme riddled with fraud and US$1.4 billion to cover unanticipated expenses from the war in Afghanistan, according to military accounting records.

The Pentagon has amassed the extra cash by billing the armed forces for fuel at rates often much higher - so…