Minister confirms art theft
Minister confirms art theft
JAKARTA (JP): The government confirmed yesterday the theft of
a number of valuable Indonesian paintings from the National
Museum, including two masterpieces withdrawn Friday by
international auction house Christie's from its October sale in
Singapore.
The theft took place a month ago and was believed to involve
members of staff at the museum, according to Minister of
Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro.
He said: "The stolen paintings have been withdrawn by
Christie's from its auction house."
It was the first official statement issued by the government
since the news of the theft, categorized as part of the national
collection, was broken by some local media late last week.
Wardiman gave no details about the other titles or the precise
number of paintings stolen from the museum, which is under the
supervision of the minister's office.
According to reliable sources, at least six paintings by
world-renowned Indonesian masters, such as Raden Sarief Bustaman
Saleh, better-known as Raden Saleh, Affandi and Raden Basoeki
Abdullah have been taken.
Police records show that the theft was only reported by museum
staffer Kolam Sardjono on Sept. 12.
However, the theft was hidden from the public by the museum
until art curators were amazed to see Christie's catalog for the
Oct. 6 auction feature two paintings by Indonesian masters
previously thought to be in the National Museum here.
Local media first reported the theft Friday, despite no
official comment from the authorities.
Shortly after a long meeting the same day, Christie's
International Singapore Pte. Ltd. announced that the two
paintings, A Nude, completed in 1992, by Basoeki Abdullah and
Portrait of a Dutch Governor Wearing the Willems Order, completed
in 1867, by Raden Saleh, were withdrawn from its upcoming
auction.
However, there is no further explanation about the hasty
withdrawal or the current whereabouts of the paintings.
Minister Wardiman criticized the media for disturbing the
investigation to arrest the thieves.
"The reports have made the investigation more difficult.
That's why I asked the press not to magnify the case," he said.
The minister said that any dishonest museum employees might
have had a double motivation; the poor security system and their
low pay.
"The museum employees are state employees. Therefore, they
have the same level of salary earned by other state employees,"
said Wardiman.
Consequently the temptation to steal the precious items could
have become stronger, he said.
The salary of middle-rank state employees ranges from Rp
250,000 to Rp 500,000 (US$106 to $212) per month. The price of
the each painting is hundreds of millions of rupiah.
The National Museum, located on Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat in
Central Jakarta, has recorded a number of thefts of a wide range
of national treasure from its collection.
National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo said Sunday in
Batam Island, Riau, that the police have questioned a number of
people regarding the recent theft of the paintings.
The three-star general also said that the Indonesian police
have asked the local police in Singapore, through Interpol, to
help investigate the stolen paintings.
In another related development yesterday, Minister of Tourism,
Post and Telecommunication Joop Ave called on Christie's to
cooperate with Indonesia to arrest the suspects. (bsr/icn)
Editorial -- Page 4
Mystery -- Page 7