TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Police have arrested two thieves allegedly stealing Affandi’s painting on May 2014. General Crime Director of Metro Police, Senior Commissioner, Heru Pranoto, said that both of the thieves were known by the family.

“They were arrested in Sawangan, Depok and Kuningan, West Java on Monday evening,” he said. The thieves were Irwan Perwito, 60, and Asep Kurnia, 32. Irwan played a role as the mastermind and Asep served as his sidekick. Both of them were the family's repairmen for air conditioners and electricity installation.

Heru said that the two could steal the painting as they were known by the family as electrician. The Affandi’s masterpiece entitled “Self Portrait and Pipe” was stolen from the house of Widjojo Nitisastro, former Coordinating Minister of Economy back in the New Order regime.

The painting had been actually swapped in March 2006 with a counterfeit. The family did not realize that it was a fake until an auction came up on the internet and showed similar painting – dubbed to be the original piece.

Under intense investigation, it was revealed that the painting had been in four different ownerships. The original painting that came up in the auction was eventually sold in Hong Kong's Southeby auction center at US$420,000.

DIMAS SIREGAR