T

he East Java Financial Services Authority (OJK) and the East Java provincial administration are currently formulating standard service and management procedures (Protap) on the disbursement of funds to families of victims of the AirAsia QZ8501 disaster.

According to the Malang chapter of the OJK, the Protap is currently being finalized and will serve as a reference for banks and insurance companies when disbursing funds owned by the victims.

'€œWe will submit the Protap to the governor. It will be used as a reference for the disbursement of funds owned by the victims to their next of kin,'€ said East Java OJK head Indra Krisna in Malang, East Java, on Tuesday.

The Protap will deal with matters related to insurance claims not regulated by banks and insurance companies. For instance, if a victim was known to have savings or fixed deposits in the bank but without proof, their next of kin could obtain a report of proof from the police.

Another example, if there was no immediate next of kin, the Protap will mention whether the beneficiary must obtain consent from the closest relative appointed by the notary public or approval from the regional head.

'€œIf one does not accept the decision, the case will be submitted to the court and the initial court decision will be legally binding,'€ said Indra.

He also reminded banks to be cautious in completing claim payments from next of kin.

'€œBanks are protected by Law No. 7/1992 on banking. We cannot ask them and they cannot give data on whether the victims had savings or loans. So, they must be cautious in verifying the next of kin,'€ said Indra.

Earlier, East Java Governor Soekarwo expressed concerns that the insurance claim process would be drawn out. He acknowledged the hardest challenge would be determining the next of kin, which should be coordinated with the East Java High Court.

'€œThe issue is quite confusing: you have to deal with insurance claim processes, funds in banks, loans and figuring out who the beneficiaries are. The court, insurance companies, AirAsia and OJK must be involved in the process,'€ said Soekarwo.

Indra said 43 of the 155 victims of the disaster hailed from his jurisdiction: 39 of them hailed from Malang and four from Probolinggo regency.

OJK commission council member Firdaus Djaelani said in Surabaya that 96 of the victims'€™ families had submitted supporting documents for the disbursement of insurance claims or bank funds owned by the victims.

'€œThe Indonesia Insurance Service [Jasindo] has so far only disbursed Rp 1.25 billion [US$100,000] for one victim, while 24 other victims'€™ families have received a down payment of Rp 300 million each,'€ said Firdaus.

In another development, human body and aircraft fragments were found in the sea off Sulawesi.

A body part was found by fishermen in waters off Pinrang regency, South Sulawesi, on Tuesday. Aircraft fragments, believed to be part of the AirAsia plane, were also found in North Mamuju, West Sulawesi.

'€œA body part found by fishermen on Tuesday morning was from a human limb,'€ said Pinrang Search and Rescue team member Fauzan Mahmud on Tuesday.

The body part was found by fishermen not far from the Minangakae coast in Mattirosompe district, Pinrang, South Sulawesi, and brought to the Bhayangkara Police Hospital in Makassar and later airlifted to Surabaya for identification.

Fauzan added that two plane fragments, one of them a red sheet measuring one square meter, were found in the waters off Pinrang. The fragments were found by fishermen on Tuesday near Langnga coast, Mattirosompe district, Pinrang.