BNI Promises to Return Church Funds of Rp 28 Billion This Week
Management of PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk, or BNI, is targeting the completion of the refund for the congregational funds of Gereja Santo Fransiskus Assisi in Aek Nabara, Labuhanbatu Regency, North Sumatra, amounting to around Rp 28 billion, this week.
According to BNI’s Director of Human Capital and Compliance, Munadi Herlambang, the resolution is based on developments in the law enforcement investigation that has clarified the value of the losses.
“We will carry out the resolution within this week. We are processing it and it is assured that this week, from Monday to Friday during working days, we will return it,” Munadi said during a virtual press conference in Jakarta on Sunday, 19 April 2026, as quoted from Antara.
Munadi explained that BNI has already refunded an initial amount of Rp 7 billion as a gesture of good faith to the customer. The refund of the remaining funds is being handled with principles of transparency, measurability, and accountability to provide legal certainty for all parties.
The basis for the resolution refers to the results of the law enforcement investigation, which serves as an objective foundation for determining the value of the losses. The fund refund mechanism will be documented in a legal agreement agreed upon by both parties.
Furthermore, Munadi revealed that the case was first uncovered in February 2026 through BNI’s internal supervision results. The incident involved actions by rogue individuals conducting transactions outside the system, outside their authority, and outside official banking procedures.
“The product used in this case is not an official BNI product and is not recorded in BNI’s operational system,” Munadi stated. All customer funds held in official BNI products are assured to remain safe and unaffected by the incident.
BNI’s Director of Network and Retail Funding, Rian Eriana Kaslan, stated that the bank will continue to oversee the resolution process until completion. BNI is also strengthening its internal supervision system and enhancing financial education and literacy for the public. “We urge the public to increase vigilance, especially regarding investment offers not made through official banking channels,” she said.
The Financial Services Authority (OJK) previously urged BNI to promptly resolve the case affecting customers at the BNI Aek Nabara Sub-Branch Office in North Sumatra. In relation to this, OJK summoned BNI’s directors and management for explanations and emphasised that resolution steps should be carried out quickly, comprehensively, transparently, and responsibly.
Previously, the congregation of Gereja St Fransiskus Assisi demanded that BNI return Rp 28 billion in church funds deposited as time deposits at BNI Aek Nabara. The treasurer of the Aek Nabara Parish Credit Union, Sister Natalia Situmorang, said that Andi Hakim Febriansyah abused his position to offer a BNI Deposito Investment product with promises of high interest rates up to 8 percent per year.
The church board deposited Rp 28 billion, sourced from savings of 1,900 cooperative members. “We only recently realised that BNI Deposito Investment is not an official BNI product,” Natalia Situmorang said during a press meeting on Friday, 10 April 2026.