Mystery behind the stolen paintings
JAKARTA (JP): The news of at least 25 paintings stolen from the National Museum and the alleged role of a Singaporean collector as the fence of the valuable art works have made headlines of many newspapers here.
However, there are still some questions which remain unanswered.
Among substantial questions are, firstly, how they were stolen and, secondly, why Christie's, who listed but later withdrew five of the stolen paintings from its auction, failed to examine the history of the art works.
According to police, four of the suspected thieves -- all museum staff who have been arrested -- admitted they stole the paintings, probably not only 25, on different occasions between March and June.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, head of the Indonesian CID, Brig. Gen. Rusdihardjo, said the thieves carried out their operation before and after visiting hours as well as on weekends when the museum was closed.
"One of the paintings was cut from its frame and put into a large plastic pipe," said Rusdihardjo.
The others, including three Affandi paintings of almost 1 by 1.5 meters each, were taken along with their frames.
In their operation, the suspects chartered a small truck.
"All of the paintings were then sold by these suspects directly to the Singaporean fence at a total price of Rp 21.5 million (US$9,188), which they shared," said Rusdihardjo.
As of last week, all but three of the paintings have been recovered, including five paintings returned by the alleged fence, Michael Lee, after being withdrawn from auction by Christie's in Singapore and 17 others seized at a house Lee rented in Pondok Indah housing complex.
The three still missing art works are an untitled painting by Basoeki Abdullah, Mbah Irosentono, by Trubus Sudarsono, and Jacqueline en Robe de Taffetas, by Albert Andre.
The 22 recovered paintings are Ny. Beni Suherman by R. Basoeki Abdullah, Montmartre and Rue A Pontoise by Maurice Utrillo, Les Adiux by Pigasso, La Partie De Campagne by H. DE Toulouse, Collection Particuliere Londrez by Cezanne, Vase Et Mandolin by Fernand Leger, Koleksi 56 by an anonymous artist, a painting of a woman by Renoir, a forest by Ikinigan, a woman by an anonymous artist, two other paintings of a woman's head also by anonymous artists, Alerte Aerienne by Charles Walch, La Maison on Briques by Yves Fancheur, Village Provencal by Raymond Moisset, an untitled painting by Paul Collomb, Portrait of a Dutch Governor Wearing the Willems Order by Raden Saleh, Parangtritis, Kawah Tangkuban Perahu and Wadjah Diri dan Topeng by Affandi and A Nude by Basoeki Abdullah.
The latter five were the ones withdrawn from Christie's Oct. 6 auction in Singapore.
It remains a mystery why the international auction house, which employs Agus Dermawan T., a local curator, failed to look into the origin of the five valuable Indonesian paintings, some of which have been published in the state collection catalog.
Nobody knows how the framed paintings were sent to Singapore.
The four museum staff are identified as Supadi, Bambang Widoyono, Komari and Syahril. They each worked at the museum for an average of five years.
Five of the stolen paintings, works of Charles Walch, Yves Fancheur, Raymond Moisset, Paul Collomb and Albert Andre, are part of the around 200 modern art works donated by artists in France to the Indonesian people in the late 1950s.
Due to neglect, 163 paintings were discovered by accident at in a disused toilet of the National Museum after more than 30 years. The "lost treasure" was displayed in 1992, organized by The Jakarta Post.
According to Rusdihardjo, police believe the Singaporean might possess other illegal art works.
According to Museum Director Suwati Kartiwa, Lee told her he intended to give more Indonesian paintings to her should the government pay him a S$200,000 ransom.
"I could not imagine how a man like him could dare to blackmail a government of another country," commented Rusdihardjo.
Lee is now listed as a wanted criminal. (bsr)