Stolen painting remains a mystery<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): After a three-month hunt, Cilandak Police are
\nstill in the dark over the whereabouts of a painting reportedly
\nattributed to Indonesian master Affandi, which was stolen from a
\nhouse in South Jakarta on Dec. 31, 1999.<\/p>\n
People have become increasingly suspicious as PT Indonesia
\nMegah, which advertised a Rp 100 million reward in some
\nnewspapers in February for any information leading to the
\nrecovery of the painting, placed advertisements in The Jakarta
\nPost and Kompas on Saturday and Monday announcing that the offer
\nhad been withdrawn.<\/p>\n
However, there is no information as to whether the painting
\nhas been recovered or is still missing.<\/p>\n
"We have yet to receive any reports from the company that the
\npainting has been recovered," said Cilandak Police chief Maj.
\nNurhayati on Monday.<\/p>\n
Last month, the police were forced to review their
\ninvestigation into the theft which allegedly occurred at the
\nhouse of Nindia, a resident of Jl. Anggur III\/30 in Cipete, South
\nJakarta, following the reward announcement in newspapers.<\/p>\n
The advertisement, which appeared in Post, Kompas and Suara
\nPembaruan, showed a grainy black-and-white print of the painting,
\nsaying that it belonged to Affandi, the late Indonesian painter.
\nThe company said the piece measured 166 by 124 square
\ncentimeters.<\/p>\n
The police made some progress last month, disclosing that the
\npainting was not owned by Nindia as earlier reported, but by an
\nunidentified person who now lives abroad.<\/p>\n
Nurhayati defended that immigration technicalities were behind
\nthe police's sluggish investigation of the case.<\/p>\n
"We couldn't get the information about the owner, moreover, he
\nis believed to be living abroad," she told the Post.<\/p>\n
She said the police also failed to track down the whereabouts
\nof Nindia, who was expected to provide a tip off in the case.<\/p>\n
"The police sent a summons to her, but she never responded.
\nHer house is always empty," Nurhayati said.<\/p>\n
The Post, however, later discovered that Nindia no longer
\nlived in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
"She now lives in Surabaya," said a man at Nindia's house.<\/p>\n
The unidentified person refused to talk further to the Post,
\nwhich contacted him by phone, warning against writing a story
\nabout the case.<\/p>\n
"There is nothing about the painting, so you must not write
\nany stories about it," he said.<\/p>\n
PT Indonesia Megah gave a similar response when contacted
\nabout the missing painting on Monday.<\/p>\n
"Our statement is represented in our recent advertisements,
\nwhich announce that the offer has been withdrawn," said Dina, an
\nemployee at the company, who refused to talk further. (asa)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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