JAKARTA: An event organiser involved in a BlackBerry smart phones discount promotion that led to a crush injuring three people was being held in police custody for suspected negligence, police said on Saturday.
“We brought him for an investigation shortly after the chaos and declared him a suspect for a criminal negligence which caused people injuries,” South Jakarta police chief Budi Irawan told AFP.
Under Indonesia's criminal code, such negligence carries up to five years in jail, he said.
The sale of discounted BlackBerry smart phones on Friday turned chaotic when thousands of Indonesians stormed the Pacific Place mall in Jakarta in a bid to get their hands on the discounted phones.
Indonesia is the BlackBerry's biggest market outside North America.
BlackBerry makers Research in Motion (RIM) had announced a week earlier that their new BlackBerry Bold 9790 would be sold half price to the first 1,000 customers.
But 5,000 BlackBerry fans gathered in the heat outside the mall for a chance to grab the latest model at the cut-rate price of $260.
Some had been queuing since a day earlier, police said.
Three people were being treated for injuries, including broken bones and several people had fainted, hospital staff said.
The detective chief said police may name more suspects over the incident.
“The investigation is still ongoing, we will also question some BlackBerry representatives,” he said.
In its statement Friday, RIM said they closed the event “to avoid discomfort and ensure the safety of those in the crowd”.
Around 300 police and paramilitary officers were deployed shortly after the chaos broke out.
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