RIM Indonesia Boss Suspect in Blackberry Chaos

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com — Police say a senior executive of Canada's Research In Motion is a suspect in last month's stampede at a BlackBerry promotion in Indonesia.

Police spokesman Col. Baharudin Djafar said Monday that several people fainted and dozens were injured at the global debut of the BlackBerry Bold 9790. The $540 phones — commonly known as Bellagios — were being sold at half price to the first 1,000 shoppers.

Djafar said Canadian Andy Cobham, the outgoing country director for RIM, is among four suspects who could face charges of negligence leading to injury. The crime carries a maximum penalty of nine months in prison.

Indonesia, a nation of 240 million people, has experienced a come-from-nowhere tech frenzy in recent years. With 6 million users, BlackBerry is more popular in Indonesia that smartphones from other makers.