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Citibank may have violated procedures: Komnas

The National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) says that Citibank might have engaged in numerous procedural violations when Irzen Octa, one of the bank’s clients, died while attempting to settle a dispute with debt collectors in one of the bank’s branch offices in late March

Hans David Tampubolon (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sat, May 7, 2011

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Citibank may have violated procedures: Komnas

T

he National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) says that Citibank might have engaged in numerous procedural violations when Irzen Octa, one of the bank’s clients, died while attempting to settle a dispute with debt collectors in one of the bank’s branch offices in late March.

“Citibank made no attempt to call the police when the victim passed away,” commission chairman Ifdhal Kasim said in his office on Friday before an audience that included members of Octa’s family.

Citibank debt collectors allegedly acted violently toward Octa on March 29 after the victim complained about his credit card debt at the bank’s Jamsostek Tower branch office on Jl. Gatot Subroto, South Jakarta. Octa died at the scene.

The police named Citibank collection leader, identified as DT, along with three debt collectors — identified only as H, D and A — for suspected abuse and murder.

Noted attorney OC Kaligis, lead legal representative for Octa’s family, said recently that the documented cause of Octa’s death was unconvincing because there were two contradictory preliminary autopsy results, both signed by the same doctor at the same time and on the same day.

The autopsy reports were both made by Ade Firmansyah, a forensic doctor at the Indonesia University Forensics Department, on March 29 at 6.35 p.m.

The family exhumed Octa’s body for a second autopsy conducted by senior forensic doctor Mun’im Idries. The preliminary results of this autopsy showed that there were multiple bruises on the victim’s body that could have been caused by blunt force trauma.

Ifdhal said that all of the reports submitted by Octa’s family would be analyzed by the commission as a basis for a recommendation that would be submitted to the police as the investigating authority.

Ifdhal also said that the commission would closely monitor the ongoing investigation of Octa’s death.

“We want to make sure that the rights of the victim’s family are fulfilled,” he said.

“The police must also put their focus on Citibank, because its office was the crime scene,” he added.

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Sutarman said that the police had properly investigated Octa’s death and that there was no collusion between law enforcement and Citibank in handling the case.

Citigroup Vice Chairman Lew Kaden had previously extended an official apology to Octa’s family.

“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.

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