Art theft case takes new turn<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A Singaporean art collector who recently handed
\nover five stolen paintings to Jakarta is now wanted by the
\nIndonesian police for allegedly selling at least 25 paintings
\nstolen from the National Museum here.<\/p>\n
The suspect, whose identity was kept secret in regards to the
\nrecent return of the five paintings, has now been identified by
\npolice as Michael Lee, a Singaporean citizen who works as an
\nexecutive of a large business group in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Police have accused Lee of purchasing a number of paintings
\ndirectly from four employees of the museum, who stole the
\nartworks.<\/p>\n
All four employees have been detained since Monday. However,
\nLee, who has rented a house at the elite Pondok Indah housing
\ncomplex in South Jakarta since 1983, is strongly believed to be
\nin hiding in Singapore.<\/p>\n
\"We have no extradition treaty with Singapore, but we have a
\nclose cooperation through the Interpol ties with the police
\nthere. That's why we're definitely sure we could get the suspect
\nto be tried here,\" National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo
\ntold reporters yesterday.<\/p>\n
According to the head of the Indonesian CID police, Brig. Gen.
\nRusdihardjo, 22 of the 25 stolen paintings were already in the
\npossession of the police.<\/p>\n
\"They include five paintings handed over by Lee last week and
\n17 others found at his house here,\" Rusdihardjo told a press
\nconference held earlier yesterday.<\/p>\n
The officer believed that the other three paintings were also
\nin the suspected fencer's possession.<\/p>\n
The Singaporean, he said, was listed as a wanted person in the
\ncase shortly after police detectives found 17 other paintings
\nThursday at the house he rented on Jl. Bukit Hijau IX\/40 at the
\nPondok Indah complex.<\/p>\n
\"Witnessed by his servant and the head of the local
\nneighborhood, we conducted the raids in a very careful manner to
\nprevent any complaints later,\" said the top police detective in
\nthe country.<\/p>\n
Head of the National Museum, Suwati Kartiwa, said four of the
\n17 paintings seized from Lee's residence were among the 12 stolen
\npaintings reported missing by the museum recently.<\/p>\n
\"The other 13 paintings have been identified by our curators
\nas those belonging to the National Museum,\" she said.<\/p>\n
They are Ny. Beni Suherman, by R. Basoeki Abdullah, Montmartre
\nand Rue A Pontoise by Maurice Utrillo, Les Adiux by Pigasso, La
\nPartie De Campagne, by H. DE Toulouse, Collection Particuliere
\nLondrez, by Cezanne, Vase Et Mandolin, by Fernand Leger, Koleksi
\n56 by an anonymous artist, a painting of a woman by Renoir, a
\nforest painting by Ikinigan, a portrait of a woman by an
\nanonymous artist and two other paintings of a woman's head also
\nby anonymous artists.<\/p>\n
The 13 paintings are believed to be from an old and valuable
\ncollection of the State Museum.<\/p>\n
It remains unknown whether they were also stolen from the
\nmuseum together with the other 12 paintings.<\/p>\n
\"The investigation is still going on and we've yet to nab the
\nsuspected owner,\" said Rusdihardjo.<\/p>\n
Seven of the 12 paintings are the work of Indonesian masters,
\nwhile the remaining five are by French artists. All of the
\npaintings, also categorized as part of the state collection, were
\nkept temporarily along with many other artworks at the museum,
\npending the establishment of a national art gallery.<\/p>\n
The seven works of local masters are Portrait of a Dutch
\nGovernor Wearing the Willems Order, by legendary master Raden
\nSaleh, Parangtritis, Kawah Tangkuban Perahu, and Wadjah Diri dan
\nTopeng, by Affandi, A Nude, and an untitled painting by Basoeki
\nAbdullah and Mbah Irosentono, by Trubus Sudarsono.<\/p>\n
As reported earlier, the first five paintings, which were to
\nhave been auctioned by Christie's at its Oct. 6 sale in
\nSingapore, were already returned to the Indonesian government
\nlast Thursday after tough negotiations with Lee's lawyer, Liem
\nSeng Siew.<\/p>\n
The two other works, Basoeki's untitled painting and Mbah
\nIrosentono, are still missing.<\/p>\n
The five foreign paintings are Alerte Aerienne by Charles
\nWalch, La Maison on Briques by Yves Fancheur, Village Provencal
\nby Raymond Moisset, an untitled painting by Paul Collomb and
\nJacqueline en Robe de Taffetas by Albert Andre.<\/p>\n
The first four paintings were confiscated at Lee's house,
\nwhile Andre's work is still missing.<\/p>\n
The officer said Lee purchased all 12 paintings from the
\nsuspected thieves for Rp 21.5 million (US$9,188).<\/p>\n
According to Sukawati, Lee told her he intended to give more
\nIndonesian paintings to her if the government paid him S$200,000.
\n(bsr)<\/p>\n
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