Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Talking about treasure in Indonesia is always interesting. One of them is about treasures from the Old Order era, aka President Soekarno’s rule, which were found on the border of Sukabumi and Bogor in 1946.
What’s the story?
So, the story begins in mid-1946 when Indonesian National Army (TNI) troops secured a border area called Cigombong which had previously been occupied by Japanese troops. When they started to secure the area and started digging the land, the soldiers accidentally found a super large chest. The coffin was then handed over to the TNI brigade commander, namely Lieutenant Colonel Alex Evert Kawilarang.
“We were once handed a chest of what we initially thought were medicines. The box was very big. When we opened it, it turned out it contained condoms,” admitted Colonel Alex Evert Kawilawang in AE Kawilarang Untung the Red and White (1988:86).
 Photo: Roman gold coins found in Italy. (Doc: Italian Ministry of Culture)Roman gold coins found in Italy. (Doc: Italian Ministry of Culture) |
From there, the initiative of the army and the people to dig up land around the former Japanese location emerged. They hoped to get weapons to fight the Dutch troops. Unfortunately, instead of getting weapons, they found a bomb which soon exploded and injured the TNI.
However, one day Kawilarang was visited by a soldier named Sergeant Major Sidik who found a large jar. The sergeant was apparently an honest soldier. He immediately gave the jar to Kawilarang. In fact, if it was dark, Sidik could have taken the jar to a collector so he could get a lot of money.
“Sergeant Major Sidik together with several members of the army police and the people found a large jar. After opening the jar, they found socks containing hard objects. They opened the socks one by one. They were shocked to see that they contained gold, jewels and diamonds that had been pried open- sparkly pry,” the book quoted Haji Priyatna Abdurrasyid: From Cilampani to New York (2001:102).
When the jar was at the Kawilarang troop headquarters, several people seemed to lust after the treasure. Kawilarang, who was annoyed, took two boxes of grenades.
“Gentlemen, do you want to fight again? This is for fighting,” Kawilarang said to them while handing over two boxes of grenades.
When the person who lusts after the treasure still looks curious. Kawilarang once again spoke, hoping that the lustful person would leave quickly.
“This is for fighting!” said Kawilarang.
Regarding the treasure, Kawilarang also had no intention of owning it, he wrote a letter to Bogor Resident Moerdjani regarding the treasure in the jar. According to Kawilarang, these assets should be the business of Home Affairs Ministry officials such as the Resident in Bogor.
However, the Resident did not accept it and instead said to Kawilarang:
“Oh, not to me. Just send it to the Ministry of Home Affairs.” This means high-ranking home ministry officials at the center.
For the safety of the treasure, Kawilarang immediately ordered Lieutenant Godjali (accompanied by several young soldiers) to hand over the treasure found by Sidik et al to the Indonesian central government in Yogyakarta. The gold and diamonds arrived in Yogyakarta intact. In Yogyakarta the gold was handed over to Mr Sumarman, Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The value of that gold, according to the magazine Express (29/09/1972), almost reaching IDR 6 billion. In detail, the treasure consists of 7 kg of gold and 4 kg of diamonds, which came from the Pondok Gede Plantation, Bogor.
Based on the team’s report, the treasure was then handed over to Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI-46) in Yogyakarta. The Director of BNI-46 at that time was Raden Mas Margono Djojohadikusumo, grandfather of the current Indonesian Minister of Defense.
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
(mfa/wur)
Originally posted 2023-10-15 12:15:00.