Whatever According To Hotman Paris, Maybank Still Has To Return Rp.22.8 Billion To Winda Earl

Winda Earl. (Foto: Instagram @evos.earl)

JAKARTA - Attorney PT Bank Maybank Indonesia Tbk. Hotman Paris Hutapea explained that there were several irregularities in the disappearance of money from customers who were also e-sports athletes, Winda Lunardi or Winda Earl, worth IDR 22.8 billion. However, several parties considered, whatever the loss was, Maybank must still be responsible for returning the lost money to Winda Earl.

Chairman of the Daily Management of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) Tulus Abadi said, although the banking industry has strict regulations, especially regarding public fundraising, the issuer coded as BNII shares still has to seek refunds to customers who have suffered losses. According to him, errors do not automatically occur due to customers, but there are negligence on the part of the bank.

"In civil and cooperative terms, the bank must be responsible to its customers or customers for this incident. The point is that the bank must provide compensation for the incident," he said, when contacted by VOI, Tuesday, November 10.

Regarding Hotman Paris's statement that Winda had never taken the savings book and automated teller machine (ATM), but was entrusted to the Head of the Maybank Cipulir Branch who is currently a suspect with the initials A, Tulus said, this is something that is not allowed by the Banking Law. .

"Of course it is unnatural and cannot be under the banking law. That is clearly a violation, where it involves personal secrets. So even branch heads may not hold bank books and ATMs belonging to consumers or customers. Because it is the absolute right of the customer," he said.

According to Tulus, the Winda case was a criminal banking crime. This incident also set a very bad precedent for the banking industry in Indonesia.

"This really undermines public confidence in banking because the banking business is a business of trust. If there are incidents like this, consumers can be distrusted by the bank and this is dangerous," he said.

Therefore, Tulus hopes, the financial services authority (OJK) can also mediate this problem so that it does not drag on. Because, Tulus assessed that the failure of bank internal supervision is also the responsibility of the OJK.

"I think the OJK should mediate this case so that later there will be the best solution for consumers and also the bank. Because after all this is OJK's responsibility as the supervisor of the banking industry. So that OJK cannot just let go," he said.

Funds Can Return

Banking observer Piter Abdullah said that the lost money could still be returned, but it really depends on the facts that emerge later. As long as the facts prove that the money belongs to the customer and the fault is entirely on the side of the bank, there is an opportunity for the customer's money to return.

"Banks must be held responsible for their negligence. So that employee burglaries occur," he said.

Related to Winda's savings book and ATM held by the branch head, said Piter, it was an act that was unfair and violated procedures. He reminded people or customers not to easily trust others.

"This must be avoided by all customers. Don't trust people too much," said Piter.

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Since the beginning, open a checking account

Meanwhile, Winda Lunardi's attorney, Joey Pattinasarany, spoke about the statement of Maybank's attorney who said that Winda had not received savings books and ATMs since the opening of the account in 2014 and entrusted it to the branch head.

Joey said that from the start, Winda was only informed about opening a regular savings account with a checking account every month. This means that from the start there was no information that the account had a savings book and an ATM.

"From the start, it has been said that what is being offered is a type of savings with a checking account, which every month receives a report in the form of a checking account just like Winda's other types of savings at other banks," said Joey.

Regarding the flow of funds of Rp. 6 billion from Winda's account for the purchase of PT Prudential Life Assurance's insurance policy, Joey confirmed that his client did not know about this.

According to Joey, the policy purchase was made without the knowledge and approval of his client. Because, Winda only opened a savings account at Maybank Cipulir without a savings book and ATM, he only received current account statements.

Previously, the attorney for PT Bank Maybank Indonesia Tbk Hotman Paris said that the case experienced by Winda Earl and his mother was not an ordinary bank account burglary case. Because, there are several oddities that were found.

First, the savings book and ATM card in the name of Winda are not held by the customer, but by the Cipulir Branch Head initial A, who has now been named a suspect.

"The question as the owner of the money is why do you leave your passbook and ATM in the hands of other people? That's what investigators are currently investigating," said Hotman, in a virtual press conference, Monday, November 9.

Then, Hotman admitted that he also found another oddity in the case experienced by Winda Earl, namely that interest on savings was not paid from Maybank to Maybank's account. But from A's personal BCA bank account to Winda's parents' personal account.

Furthermore, Hotman said, based on the interest agreement promised to Winda, it was 7 percent. With total savings from 27 October 2014 to 2016, the interest paid should have been IDR 1.2 billion. However, Winda received Rp.576 million.

"What was transferred was Rp.576 million. There was no protest," he said.

Not stopping there, Hotman also found another irregularity, namely the flow of funds amounting to Rp. 6 billion by suspect A which was intended for the payment of Prudential's insurance policy.

However, within one month there was a flow of funds that entered Winda's father's account in the name of Herman Gunardi worth IDR 4.8 billion. The flow of funds is known based on account mutation tracing.

"We do not know exactly who was involved. We do not accuse until today, only A. But seeing this weirdness, you humans who use normal logic, wonder or not," he said.

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