Jakarta museum theft: witness found dead

Investigations into the theft of artefacts from a Javanese museum takes a sinister turn when an expert witness is found dead beside the highway.

Witness in museum theft found dead
The Jakarta Post, 10 February 2008
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An expert witness in the investigation into the theft of valuable statues from Radya Pustaka Museum in Surakarta, Central Java, was found dead on the side of the highway outside of Sleman, Yogyakarta, on Saturday morning.

Lambang Babar Purnomo, 57, was found dead near his motorcycle. Police said there were a number of visible wounds to Lambang’s body, but they were still investigating what caused these wounds.

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The head of the museum has been identified as the main suspect in the case, and police believe he was abetted by several museum employees. The stolen statues were allegedly sold to wealthy families in Jakarta, including businessman Hashim Djojohadikusumo.