The 2.43 million yuan (approximately NT$10.78 million) savings of depositors in mainland China were embezzled by the former president of the Nanjing Jiangning branch of the Postal Savings Bank. (Schematic / shutterstock)
The 2.43 million yuan (approximately NT$10.78 million) savings of depositors in mainland China were embezzled by the former president of Postal Savings Bank Nanjing Jiangning Branch (hereinfollowing referred to as Postal Savings Jiangning Branch), and the president was later sentenced for the crime of misappropriating funds. The family of the victim, Mr. Li, demanded compensation from the bank, but they were rejected by the bank unexpectedly. After Mr. Li won the case in the first instance, the Nanjing Intermediate People’s Court made a decision to remand for retrial in the second instance.
according to“Upstream News”Mr. Li told reporters on the 16th, “We have held several pre-trial mediation meetings in Nanjing Jiangning Court, but the bank thinks that we should be held accountable because we did not check frequently following depositing money.” According to multiple mediation transcripts , Jiangning Sub-branch of Postal Savings Bank argued that depositors failed to fulfill their duty of prudence and care in handling their own deposits, and had their own faults, so they should bear the responsibility themselves.
In this regard, Mr. Li explained the ins and outs to the media. In 2008, in order to help Mr. Shi, the then director of the Jiangning Post Office Chalukou Branch (later changed to the Postal Savings Jiangning Branch) to complete the savings task, Mr. Li’s family used three ID cards to register in their bank. 1.35 million yuan was deposited. In the next 10 years, in order to help Mr. Shi complete the savings task, the savings of 1.35 million yuan will be deposited into the Postal Savings Jiangning Sub-branch together with the interest of the year every year.
According to the passbook information provided by Mr. Li, following opening the account on January 6, 2008, a total of 1.35 million yuan was deposited in the three passbooks. After that, the principal and interest were withdrawn and re-deposited from December to March of the next year. . By December 2018, the balance of the three passbooks totaled more than 2.43 million yuan. And when the family wanted to use the money, they found that the money might not be withdrawn. After calling the police, it was found that, except for the first deposit information which was true, the other access records on the passbook were all false.
According to the “Criminal Judgment” issued by the People’s Court of Jiangning District, Nanjing City, it was found that from January 2008 to March 2018, Mr. Shi made fake passbook transaction records while working in Jiangning Sub-branch of PSBC, and embezzled customers many times. The deposits of Li, Chen, and Hu totaled 2,430,109 yuan. For the crime of misappropriating funds, Mr. Shi was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months in prison, and was ordered to refund 2,430,109 yuan to the Jiangning Sub-branch of the Postal Reserve of the victim.
In response to the case of Mr. Shi’s misappropriation of public funds, the person in charge of the PSBC Jiangning Sub-branch responded to the reporter that, as the victim unit, the PSBC Jiangning Sub-branch believed that the court’s conviction of Mr. Shi was inaccurate and had applied to the procuratorate for a protest. On March 16, 2023, the reporter verified and learned that the judgment has now come into force.
The criminal case was settled, but the money still cannot be returned. So Mr. Li’s family sued the PSBC Jiangning Sub-branch to court. After the trial, the court held that savings institutions should guarantee the payment of the principal and interest of savings deposits, and should not refuse to pay the principal and interest of deposits in violation of regulations.
In this case, Mr. Li, Mr. Chen and others delivered the deposits to Mr. Shi, Mr. Shi opened a postal savings passbook account, and Mr. Shi handled the deposit and withdrawal of the money. The passbooks were all stamped with the seal of “Nanjing Jiangning Chalukou Postal Savings”. Mr. Shi was formerly the director of the Chalukou Branch. Li, Chen and others had reason to believe that Mr. Shi was performing his duties, and he formed a savings deposit contract relationship with the Postal Savings Bank Jiangning Sub-branch. For this reason, the court ruled that Jiangning Sub-branch of Postal Savings Bank of China should return depositors’ deposits.
Unexpectedly, the PSBC Jiangning Sub-branch refused to accept the judgment and lodged an appeal. On May 13, 2022, the Nanjing Intermediate People’s Court revoked the first-instance judgment and sent back the “Civil Ruling” for retrial.
The report added that on March 16, in response to this matter, the relevant person in charge of PSBC Jiangning Branch responded that the matter was handled by a special person from PSBC Nanjing Branch and provided the corresponding phone number, but the staff of PSBC Nanjing Branch hung up following knowing the intention of the interview. Phone calls, refused to answer therefollowing.
