Museum staff face jail terms over theft

Museum staff face jail terms over theft

JAKARTA (JP): A state prosecutor asked the Central Jakarta
District Court yesterday to sentence two National Museum
employees to three and four years imprisonment for their alleged
roles in the theft of 25 paintings.

Bambang Widoyono, 38 and Supandi, 41, who both worked in the
museum's conservation department, were charged under Article 363
of the Criminal Code for conspiring to steal.

Prosecutor Amri Sata demanded four years for Bambang and three
for Supandi.

The paintings, including five works of the late Basoeki
Abdullah, were removed from the museum between March and May last
year. The theft came to light only in September when some of the
Basoeki's and Raden Saleh's paintings were included in a
Christie's Singapore auction catalog.

They were eventually retrieved, but police are still searching
for a Singaporean, identified as Michael Lee, whom they believe
was the brains behind the theft.

Amri said the paintings, together worth more than US$400,000,
were part of the national heritage which had been entrusted to
the defendants for safekeeping.

"As employees of the museum they should have guarded all
museum's assets, instead of stealing them," he said.

The defendants received between Rp 3 million ($1,200) and Rp 6
million for each painting from Michael, Amri said, adding that
Bambang took a larger cut of the money.

Amri said the fact that neither men had any prior convictions
prevented him from demanding a heavier sentence. The charge
carries a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment.

The trial was adjourned until next week for the defense to
present its closing argument. (12)