France’s presidential silverware keeper and two other men are set to stand trial over the alleged theft of porcelain and other tableware worth thousands of euros, the Paris prosecution office has said.
Prosecutors said the silverware keeper, Thomas M, and his partner, Damien G, were arrested on suspicion of theft on Tuesday. Another man, Ghislain M, was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen goods. Their full names were not given due to French privacy customs.
The Elysee, the president’s official residence, had reported the disappearance of silverware and tableware pieces used for state dinners and other events, with the value of the missing items estimated between 15,000 and 40,000 euros ($17,500 and $46,800), the prosecution office said.
Interviews with presidential staff pointed suspicions at Thomas M, whose suspected downward inventory adjustments appeared to anticipate future thefts, prosecutors said.
They said about 100 objects were discovered in Thomas M’s personal locker, his vehicle and his home, including copper pots, Sevres porcelain and Baccarat champagne glasses.
Investigators found an air force-stamped plate and ashtrays that Thomas M was selling on the online marketplace Vinted, prosecutors said. These items are not available to the general public.
The three suspects appeared in court on Thursday on charges of jointly stealing moveable property listed as part of the national heritage – an offence punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a 150,000-euro ($175,000) fine, as well as aggravated handling of stolen goods.
The trial was postponed to February 26. The defendants were placed under judicial supervision, banned from contacting one another, prohibited from appearing at auction venues and barred from their professional activities.
French paper Le Parisien, which first reported the case, said Ghislain M worked as a guard at the Louvre museum, and cited his lawyer as saying that his client’s motivation for his suspected involvement was his “passion” for rare antique goods.
In October, the museum experienced its own robbery, when thieves disguised as construction workers stole priceless pieces from France’s crown jewels, prompting a debate about security standards at the country’s landmarks.
The Sevres porcelain factory, one of the Elysee’s main suppliers, identified several items on auction websites, prosecutors said, adding that some items had been returned.