Citibank apologizes to Octa’s family

Citigroup's Vice Chairman Lew Kaden said on Monday that the bank would like to extend an official apology to the family of Irzen Octa, a client who was died when he met the bank’s debt collectors at one of its branch offices in Jamsostek Tower.

"We are deeply saddened by the sudden and unexpected death of Octa. I can assure you that it has always been our intention to handle this very sad matter with genuine compassion for Octa’s family, and if we have done anything to suggest otherwise, we sincerely apologize," Kaden said.

Kaden also said that the bank was fully committed to restoring public trust in Indonesia following a recent series of controversies which also included a money laundering allegations other than the death of Octa.

"Both matters are being treated with the utmost seriousness by our senior management," Kaden said.

"We are doing everything possible to support due process and cooperate with the ongoing investigations," he added.

During his visit, Kaden expressed Citibank's deep regret for these incidents and any impact they have had on its customers and the public at large in Indonesia.

On the fraud matter, Kaden said Citibank had zero tolerance for any type of fraudulent behavior and had reported the former employee's fraudulent activity to Bank Indonesia as soon as it was detected and filed a criminal complaint.

Citibank is also working closely with Bank of Indonesia to strengthen its processes to prevent fraud and improve debt collection practices.