Indonesian promoter says he will hold Copperfield's stage props

Oct 25, 2007, 12:22 GMT

Jakarta - The Indonesian promoter of David Copperfield's cancelled shows in Jakarta said Thursday he would not return the celebrity magician's stage equipment and props until he is reimbursed.

'I will keep his equipment until he covers my financial losses,' an angry Peter Basuki, owner of Buena Productions, said. 'He started it.'

Copperfield cancelled shows across south-east Asia after agents from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) last week raided his Las Vegas warehouse and a casino theatre after an unnamed woman accused him of raping her in the Bahamas last summer.

Copperfield, whose real name is David Seth Kotkin, was scheduled to perform his 'World of Wonder' act for six nights in Jakarta starting Tuesday.

Two shipping containers packed with equipment for the shows that arrived last week are now stranded in the customs area of Jakarta's Tanjung Priok Port. Basuki claims that he, as the receiver of the shipment, now controls the property.

'The equipment is only worth 5 billion rupiah (550,000 dollars), but I still can't cover my losses,' he said, adding that his company had sold 29,000 tickets for the six Jakarta shows.

Viva Art International Limited, an agency in which Basuki and other promoters in south-east Asia contracted the Copperfield shows, filed a civil lawsuit against him in the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday for suddenly cancelling the tour.

They demanded the return of 3 million dollars that was paid into an escrow account for Copperfield's performances in south-east Asia. Copperfield, through his attorney, has refused to return the money, according to a press release from Viva Art.

About 12 FBI agents raided the warehouse on October 18, where Copperfield stores props and memorabilia from around the world. Copperfield, 51, has been a longtime performer at the MGM Grand Casino Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.