The Paris prosecutor’s office has announced that the president’s silverware keeper and two other men will be tried in court for allegedly stealing thousands of euros worth of porcelain and other tableware.
Thomas M, the silverware keeper, and Damien G, both 22, were detained on suspicion of theft on Tuesday, according to the prosecution. Ghislain M, a different man, was detained on suspicion of stealing things. Due to French privacy laws, they were unable to provide their full names.
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The Elysee, the president’s official residence, reported the disappearance of silverware and tableware used for state dinners and other occasions, according to the prosecution office, with the missing items estimated to be between 15 000 and 40 000 euros ($17, 500 and $ 46, 800).
According to prosecutors, Thomas M’s suspected downward inventory adjustments appeared to anticipate future thefts in interviews with the president’s staff, according to prosecutors.
According to them, copper pots, Sevres porcelain, and Baccarat champagne glasses were among the items found in Thomas M’s personal locker, his car, and home.
On the online marketplace Vinted, Thomas M was selling items that were not accessible to the general public, according to prosecutors who found an air force-stamped plate and ashtrays.
The three suspects pleaded guilty to aggravated handling of stolen goods, as well as a 10-year sentence in prison and a $175, 000 fine, and a separate charge of stealing moveable property listed as part of the national heritage.
The trial was moved to February 26 for the time being. The defendants were subject to judicial supervision, prohibited from eliciting bids, and prohibited from engaging in professional activities.
Ghislain M worked as a guard at the Louvre museum, according to his lawyer, who claimed that his client’s suspected involvement was because of his “passion” for rare antique goods. Le Parisien, the first newspaper to report the case.
The museum’s own robbery occurred in October when construction workers allegedly robbed valuable items from France’s crown jewels, stoking the debate over security standards at the nation’s landmarks.
