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Andrew Cobham, president director for RIM Indonesia, has been named a suspect for negligence by the Indonesian police, and he could face up to five years in prison if found guilty.

 

The move follows a promotion in Jakarta just over a week ago where the first 1,000 customers of the new BlackBerry Bold 9790 would get the device at half price. 5,000 people showed up in hopes to grab a bargain, but most were left waiting for hours, some overnight, as RIM struggled to cope with the numbers.

 

 

Eventually frustration turned to anger and a stampede broke out, resulting in many people being crushed and trampled by the advancing crowd. Over 40 people were injured and 20 were knocked unconscious, making it one of the most disastrous product launches in history.

 

Cobham is only one of a number of suspects, including security consultant Terry Burkey and two unnamed individuals, all of whom have not yet been detained, but are not permitted to leave the country and are required to report to the police on a regular basis.

 

The idea that RIM might have been negligent in this case comes from the belief that it ignored proper safety protocols, a matter that even the Indonesian government expressed concern over before the promotion went ahead.

 

Source: AFP