T

he lawyers of three contract Citibank debt collectors say their clients have admitted to intimidating politician Irzen Octa before he died while discussing his credit card balance with them.

“Our clients tapped [Octa’s] shoulder and also banged the table during the negotiations,” one of their attorneys, Wirawan Adnan, told reporters during a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Wirawan, however, said that his clients had not meant to inflict violence on Octa.

“I must stress that our clients had no intention to abuse him. They just want to reach the goal of a debt settlement,” Adnan said.

Adnan also said that the results of a second autopsy performed on Octa could not be used as evidence in court.

“The [second] autopsy was not part of the police investigation. Therefore it can’t be introduced as new evidence,” Adnan said.

Octa’s first autopsy resulted in two different reports signed by the same doctor, Ade Firmansyah, a forensic specialist from the University of Indonesia, dated March 29 at 6:35 p.m.

The first report said that “bruises were found on the victim’s nose due to a blunt object strike and asphyxiation. The cause of death cannot be fully determined until a surgical examination is performed.” The second report said that Octa died from brain trauma, which had to be confirmed by a laboratory test.

A second autopsy performed on Wednesday at the request of OC Kaligis, the noted lawyer retained by Octa’s family, said there were indications of foul play on Octa’s body.

Kaligis said comments on the inadmissibility of the second autopsy were outrageous.

“The second autopsy was performed by Dr. Mun’im Idris, who was under oath. Who said report from the second autopsy can’t be introduced as evidence? The main problem is that the first autopsy report was fabricated. I want investigators to remain objective in handling the case,” Kaligis told The Jakarta Post over the telephone Tuesday.

“The remarks are nothing but attempt at fabricating a story so that Citibank will not be implicated,” he added.

Octa died on March 29 after meeting with Citibank debt collectors in Jamsostek Tower on Jl. Gatot Subroto, South Jakarta.

The police have named a senior contract Citibank debt collector and three contract debt collectors as suspects in the investigation of Octa’s death.