It has been more than three weeks since the death of National Unity Party (PBB) secretary-general Irzen Octa, 50.

While five suspects have been detained in connection with Octa’s death, irregularities in the police investigation have raised questions on how Octa died and the seriousness of the authorities in pursuing the case.

Octa arrived at Citibank’s branch office at Jamsostek tower on Jl. Gatot Subroto, South Jakarta, on March 29 to dispute his credit card bill and was ushered to a meeting room on the fifth floor.

The details of Octa’s meeting with three contract debt collectors employed by Citibank remain unclear.

Octa lost consciousness during the meeting and was rushed to Mintohardjo Naval Hospital, where he was declared dead upon arrival.

The police named a senior debt collector, identified by his initials, DT, and three other debt collectors — H, D and A — as suspects for possible physical abuse that led to Octa’s death.

Investigators also detained a fifth suspect, BT, the owner of the debt collection company hired by Citibank.

But the police have issued contradictory statements throughout the investigation.

South Jakarta Police chief detective Adj. Sr. Comr. Budi Irawan said on April 1 that blood splatters found on the curtains and walls of the meeting room were evidence that Octa had been treated violently.

Budi’s statement was reinforced a day later by South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Gatot Edi Pramono, who said at a press conference that Octa had allegedly suffered abuse at the hands of the debt collectors, who took turns interrogating Octa while kicking and punching him.

However, on April 5, Budi made a different statement on Octa’s death, denying that there had been violence.

At about the same time, different versions of Octa’s autopsy results were released.

Ade Firmansyah, a forensic pathologist at the University of Indonesia, allegedly issued two contradictory reports on an autopsy performed on March 29 at 6:35 p.m., according to the lawyer of Octa’s family, OC Kaligis,

The Jakarta Post obtained copies of both reports.

The first report reviewed said that while Octa tested negative for drugs, there were bruises on his back, his jaw was stiff, his nose was blistered and dripping blood, and that his face and the skin under his fingernails had a purple hue.

According to that report’s conclusion, “blisters on the nose due to blunt object trauma and signs of asphyxiation were found on this 50-year-old male body. The cause of the death cannot be fully determined until an internal autopsy of the body is conducted”.

The second autopsy report obtained by the Post also indicated that Octa’s nose was blistered and dripping blood and that his face and the skin under his fingernails had a purple hue.

However, the second report said there were indications of a brain hemorrhage, frozen blood inside the brain and bruises to the brainstem.

The second report concluded that “the cause of the death was an illness in which there was a stroke in the brain and under the meninges that pressed against the brainstem, and these findings need to be further confirmed by laboratories examination”.

Kaligis did not accept Ade’s later statement that both reports reflected initial findings and that the final confidential results of the autopsy had been submitted to the police.

“There’s something fishy behind all of this. I believe Citibank will do everything they can to cover up this case because they are afraid about the implications for their business,” he said.

The police have not responded to demands from Octa’s family for a second autopsy to be made by independent forensic experts.

University of Indonesia criminologist Adrianus Meliala said it was not unusual for pathologists to issue different autopsy reports.

“However, in this case, I am curious as to the urgency that forced the pathologist to issue two different autopsy results for something that is essential for investigations,” Adrianus said.

According to Adrianus, there were two different kinds of autopsies for criminal investigations, internal and external.

“Usually the internal autopsy only takes one or two hours after the external one. I believe the second result included the internal autopsy but was not specifically stated,” he said.

Kaligis also alleged that Citibank disturbed the scene of Octa’s death by removing Octa’s body and taking it to the hospital.

“After he died it took two hours for them to call the police. The body had been taken away,” he said.

“They should have called the police the moment the victim died. Or Citibank should have immediately called an ambulance when the victim complained about his health.”

Octa family has since filed a lawsuit demanding Rp 3 trillion in damages from Citibank.

Citibank Country Corporate Affairs Head Citi Indonesia Director Ditta Amahorseya said the bank had complied with police requests in an appropriate manner, and will continue to cooperate fully with them.

Irregularities surrounding the investigation:

• The police initially said there were signs of violence against Octa, and that there were traces of blood found at Citibank’s debt settlement room located on the fifth floor of Jamsostek Tower in South Jakarta. However, few days later, the police said that there was no signs of violence against Octa.

• Two different autopsy reports were issued by the same physician based on the same examination. The first report said Octa might have died due to violent abuse and that an internal autopsy was needed, while the second said Octa’s death was triggered by an illness that led to a stroke.

• OC Kaligis said the police have not responded to the Octa family’s request for another autopsy.

• Citibank members alledgedly remove Octa’s body from the crime scene and did not call for help for two hours.

Timeline of cases plaguing Citibank

Malinda’s alleged fraud

Late February: A Citibank internal audit reveals several transfers worth as much as Rp 500 million (US$57,500) from several of the bank’s clients to the personal account of the bank’s senior relationship manager, Inong Malinda, also known as Malinda Dee. Bank clients N. Susetya Sutedja and Rolie Bin Pateni confirm that the withdrawals from their funds were unauthorized.

March 14: Citibank reports the case to the police.
 

March 23: The National Police special financial crime division detains Malinda at her apartment at Capital Residence in South Jakarta.
 

March 25: The police hold a press conference announcing Malinda’s detention for allegations of embezzling at least Rp 17 billion from bank customers and money laundering. The police confiscate Malinda’s Hummer-3 SUV and Mercedes E350 sedan.
 

March 30: The police track Malinda’s assets to the United Kingdom and Australia in cooperation with the PPATK, a money laundering watchdog.

March 31: The police confiscate Malinda’s two Ferraris.

April 1: Malinda is now suspected of embezzling as much as Rp 20 billion from bank customers. The police deny that several police generals were among Malinda’s clients. Chief detective Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi says the uncovering of Malinda’s alleged fraud is based on reports from three of her clients. Central bank deputy governor Muliaman Hadad says Bank Indonesia (BI) will review supervisory regulations related to private banking.

April 2: The police investigate investment company PT Sarwahita Group Management for allegedly receiving fraudulently-obtained money from Malinda, who is also the firm’s co-founder and director. The police say Malinda handles around 400 clients at the bank.

April 4: Malinda appears in public for the first time since her detention when the police take her to a Citibank office in South Jakarta for case reconstruction. They confiscate Malinda’s balance worth Rp 11 billion and clarify the amount of the allegedly embezzled funds to be Rp 16 billion. Malinda’s alleged modus operandi is rolling over funds into other funds by forging withdrawal authorization forms of her clients.

April 6: The police identify the National Resilience Institute’s (Lemhanas) deputy governor, Vice Air Force Marshall Rio Mendung Thalib, as president commissioner of Sarwahita, a company established by Malinda and her friends, including her boss at Citibank, Reniwati Hamid. The House of Representatives’ Commission XI overseeing financial affairs holds a hearing with BI, the National Police and Citibank. During the hearing, Citibank vice president for customer care Hotman Simbolon says Malinda handles 236 accounts with a minimum balance of Rp 500 million.

April 7: The police, suspicious of money laundering, begin investigating the sources Malinda’s clients’ funds. Malinda’s lawyer, Halapancas Simanjuntak, says Sutedja and Rolie are not the clients who reported the case to the police. Sarwahita president director Andrea Peresthu denies allegation that the company received money from Malinda, who resigned from the company in February.

April 8: House Commission XI issues 12 recommendations for the central bank and the law enforcement agencies to undertake following the opening of the Citibank case. Among them are revisions to a set of BI regulations on private banking, instructions to BI to sanction Citibank for its weak internal supervision and instructions to the police to thoroughly investigate the case, including allegations of money laundering.

April 11: The police find evidence that Malinda transferred Rp 2 billion to Sarwahita in 2009. So far, only Malinda and former Citibank teller Dwi have been declared suspects.

April 13: PPATK chairman Yunus Husen says Malinda allegedly used four identity cards to conduct the fraud. The agency studies money-laundering indications in 28 transaction reports from two insurance firms and eight banks, including unidentified state-owned, private and foreign-owned lenders. He also says indications are rife that active and retired public officials had large bank accounts under Malinda’s management at Citibank.

April 14: In fallout from the Malinda case, Rio Mendung is dismissed from his position and made a high officer in the military.

April 18: The PPATK officially investigates Citibank to verify money laundering allegations linked to several active and retired public officials.

Octa’s unusual death

March 28: Citibank debt collectors meet with Octa, requesting he pay his Rp 100 million credit card bill. When Octa claims the amount is inflated, the debt collectors request he come to the Citibank branch office at the Jamsostek Tower in South Jakarta.
 

March 29: Octa arrives at the Citibank office. After a discussion with the debt collectors, Octa loses consciousness at around 1:25 p.m. and is rushed to the hospital but his life cannot be saved. At 6:35 p.m., physician Ade Firmansyah conducts an autopsy on Octa’s body and issues two differing verdicts.
 

March 30: South Jakarta Police begin investigating the case and name three Citibank debt collectors as suspects for alleged abuse that lead to Octa’s death. The suspects are arrested the same day.
 

March 31: South Jakarta Police detective unit chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Budi Irawan says the police found traces of evidence, including blood splatters in the bank’s room.
 

April 1: South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Gatot Edi Pramono holds a press conference to provide an official chronology of Octa’s death based on witness testimonies. According to Gatot, the debt collectors allegedly interrogated Octa, occasionally beating him on his arms and legs.
 

April 3: The police name Citibank debt collection leader, identified as D.T., a suspect.
 

April 4: The police name B.T., the owner of the debt collecting agency hired by Citibank, as a suspect.
 

April 5: The Police say there are no signs of violence on Octa’s body, contradicting their previous statements.
 

April 6: The House of Representatives’s Commission XI on financial affairs meets officials from Citibank, BI and the National Police, condemning Citibank for the death of Octa and BI for its failure to monitor debt collection practices.

April 12: Octa’s family’s lawyer, O.C. Kaligis, demands that the police investigate the truth behind the two completely different autopsy results.

April 14: Kaligis and Octa’s family officially file a lawsuit against Citibank for abuse and murder, demanding Rp 3 trillion in damages.

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