Men jailed for stealing

JAKARTA (JP): A court has found two men guilty of stealing watches worth Rp 5 billion (US$ 218 million).

Judge Gatam Taridi of the Central Jakarta District Court sentenced shopkeeper Marsono Marsitih, 34, to three years in prison and his friend Sunarto to one year for stealing 54 watches from the Sarida International Watches exhibition at Ratu Plaza, Central Jakarta in April last year.

The defendants, both residents of Bekasi, were not represented by a lawyer. The two had pleaded guilty during their earlier separate trials.

They told the court that the theft was masterminded by Amin, alias Khou Gak Ih, who is still at large. They said they turned themselves in because they were disappointed by Amin who pocketed most of the money obtained from the sale of the stolen watches.

The watches were Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Brietling, Piaget, Patek Phillipe, Choppard, Baume & Mercier and Vacheron Constantin products. (26)