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Jakarta Post

Collector angry for being named in stolen statue case

Businessman Hashim Djojohadikusumo said Thursday he was bitter about being implicated in the theft of valuable artifacts from the Radya Pustaka Museum in Surakarta

Blontank Poer (The Jakarta Post)
Surakarta
Fri, November 28, 2008

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Collector angry for being named in stolen statue case

Businessman Hashim Djojohadikusumo said Thursday he was bitter about being implicated in the theft of valuable artifacts from the Radya Pustaka Museum in Surakarta.

"I'm upset. Frankly, I was furious when I heard I'd been named as a suspect. I've been committed to preserving historical artifacts for years, to make sure they wouldn't be taken out of the country, but my efforts are futile," he said during trial proceedings led by Saparudin Hasibuan at the Surakarta District Court on Thursday.

He said he was innocent both of the charge of theft and the charge of falsifying the statues' provenance. He said he only bought the statues because they had been offered by Hugo Kreijger, a former curator of Christie's auction house in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

"Hugo came to my house in London saying a representative from the Surakarta Kraton was offering six pieces from the Sultan's personal collection, complete with certificates from the ruler and from the government of Indonesia. He told me the six artifacts were not classified as objects of cultural heritage," said Hashim.

Hashim said he had known Hugo for a long time and trusted his reputation and expertise.

"Hugo also convinced me that the documents were legal and authentic," he testified.

The long negotiation process begun in November 2006 concluded three months later. In January 2007, Hashim paid US$206,000 to Hugo: $100,000 for the purchase of the statues and the rest for other objects he did not disclose.

Hashim also said Hugo had told him he had been cheated by Heru Suryanto, who reportedly falsified the ownership certificates.

"The moment I knew they were stolen, I called Hugo up and scolded him. He also admitted he had been conned," said Hashim.

Heru, who is a distant relative of the Surakarta Kraton court, is known as a dealer in antiques. He is believed to have often negotiated transactions with Hugo. Heru was sentenced to 18 months in prison on June 30. KRT Darmo Dipuro, also known as Mbah Hadi, the museum curator, also received a similar sentence.

According to the court schedule, Hashim should stand trial on Dec. 7. Public prosecutor Tatang Agus has charged Hashim of violating law 5/1992 on cultural heritage. If found guilty, Hashim could face a maximum sentence of 12 months, or a maximum fine of Rp 10 million.

Hashim is accused of violating the law because he failed to register his ownership of the artifacts and his immediate handing over of the statues to the government showed criminal intent.

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