[CPProt.net] Stolen 'Cezanne' a fake: police

[MSN and CPProt list (Ton Cremers)]

Stolen 'Cezanne' a fake: police

By Johanna Leggatt

March 17, 2005

A SUPPOSED $50 million Cezanne painting at the centre of an alleged art
heist was a fake, police said today.


Art restorer John Opit claimed that when his northern NSW house was broken
into in February last year, among works stolen was a piece by renowned
French impressionist Paul Cezanne worth $50 million.

He said other notable works stolen from his house at Limpinwood near Tweed
Heads included pieces by John Glover, Arthur Streeton, Norman Lindsay and a
Winslow Homer piece said to be worth $2 million.


The paintings were recovered from a Gold Coast garage last June.


Gold Coast man Brett Michael Williams, 44, appeared in Mullumbimby Local
Court in northern NSW today charged with breaking, entering and stealing
over the thefts.


Outside court, police poured cold water on Mr Opit's claims about the value
of the paintings.


"In relation to the Cezanne we had a number of experts look at it ... and
they have found they do not believe it is authentic," acting Inspector Brett
Greentree said.


"We were initially looking at a $67-million break and enter and now we are
looking at a substantially less figure.


"We do not (even) believe it is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars."


Insp Greentree would not confirm whether the paintings were worth even tens
of thousands of dollars.


He said art experts in Australia and overseas confirmed the Cezanne was not
an original.


He also said there was nothing to indicate the other artwork stolen was
valuable.


Williams' arrest yesterday was the culmination of a 12-month police
investigation.


Insp Greentree denied the operation had been a waste of police resources,
saying: "It was set up to investigate what we believed at the time was a $67
million robbery."


Williams was granted bail subject to conditions, including the posting of a
$2,000 surety.


He will reappear in Lismore Local Court on April 12.


Police have not ruled out further arrests over the thefts. 

http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=1274&storyid=2824966