DENPASAR, BALI, March 21, 2014 (The Bali Daily): The Jagatnatha Temple in Denpasar said it had increased security measures by assigning special guards to accompany the existing pemangku (priests) that had been guarding the temple. The decision was in follow-up to the thefts of pretima — small, sacred effigies usually made of precious woods and bedecked with jewels — from 34 temples since 2008. The Bali Police successfully resolved several cases late last year and arrested some suspects, including a priest.
The most high-profile case occurred in 2010 and involved an Italian art collector, Roberto Gamba, who was believed to be the mastermind behind a ring of thieves. The police and prosecutors, however, failed to prove that accusation and Gamba was only charged with fencing stolen goods and punished with a brief sentence of five months’ imprisonment before being deported to his home country.
Indonesian Parisadha Hindu Council (PHDI) and scores of Hindu organizations demanded the police not release the confiscated items. The police caved in and agreed to shift the custody of more than 400 confiscated pretima to Bali Museum. Council deputy chairman Ketut Pasek said, “stolen pretima are considered defiled, no longer sacred and no temple wants them, explaining why no temple took the stolen pretima after they were recovered by the police.