[CPProt.net] INTERNATIONAL ART THIEF TO STAND TRIAL IN RUSSIA; thief permanently resided in Germany

[MSN and CPProt list (Ton Cremers)]

INTERNATIONAL ART THIEF TO STAND TRIAL IN RUSSIA 


YEKATERINBURG, March 11, (RIA Novosti, Oksana Grebennik) - An international
art thief, who had stolen a number of expensive works of art, will stand
trial in Yekaterinburg, RIA Novosti learned today at the press service of
Yury Zolotov, Deputy Prosecutor-General for the Urals federal district. 

The art thief permanently resided in Germany. 

According to investigators, he posed as manager of a prestigious Nuremberg
art gallery for several years, winning the confidence of Yekaterinburg
artists and art collectors. He obtained their pictures, sculptures,
drawings, lithographs and jewelry under the pretext of organizing
international exhibitions. All these masterpieces were subsequently smuggled
into Germany. 

The list of stolen works includes paintings by Aivazovsky, Shemyakin's
masterpieces, Faberge jewelry, as well as paintings by well-known Urals
masters. 

Experts estimate their total value at more than seven million rubles. (One
dollar costs 27.46 rubles). 

Some of these masterpieces were confiscated during the investigation and
returned to their legitimate owners. The art thief, whose name is being
withheld in the interests of the investigation, is now staying behind bars. 

He is charged with fraud (article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code),
stealing particularly valuable objects (article 164) and smuggling (article
188). The thief can be sentenced up to ten years in prison for each crime. 

His criminal activity was thwarted by the federal-district investigation
squad of the Russian Interior Ministry's Investigation Committee. Its
activities were controlled by the Prosecutor-General's department in the
Urals federal district. 

http://en.rian.ru/