KEY POINTS:
A reward of up to $20,000 is being offered for information on a rare Goldie painting stolen from Auckland University, but few believe the painting will be returned.
Planning Revenge by Charles Goldie was stolen from the university over the Christmas holidays. A set of poems by Colin McCahon and an Oxford lectern bible were also taken.
The Goldie had just been put on display on December 4, leading to suspicions it was stolen to order, said Detective Sergeant Kevin Burke. "There's a definite market for the items that have gone. But they're specialised items in that their appeal is probably limited, as opposed to just selling a colour TV or an X-Box down the pub."
The painting's London insurers have hired investigators GAB Robins to track the treasure - so far without success. The reward is a last effort, according to investigators, who say the chances of recovery are "very remote".
"I think it went underground very quickly. Because of what it is and how well known it is, [it] is unlikely to surface for a long, long time... It's probably gone to someone's private collection overseas [that we] in New Zealand will not hear about for a long time, at best," said an investigator.
But if information leads to the successful return of the painting, the reward could be up to $20,000.
"It depends on how good the information is - we don't have a specific sum," said the investigator.
The other two items are being investigated by Vero Insurance, which is not offering a reward at this stage.
