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| Painting theft suspect wants trial moved to Netherlands | Painting theft suspect wants trial moved to Netherlands |
| (8 days later) | |
| The suspected Romanian ringleader in the theft of seven paintings from a Dutch museum last year will never reveal where they are unless his trial is moved to the Netherlands, his lawyer said on Tuesday. | The suspected Romanian ringleader in the theft of seven paintings from a Dutch museum last year will never reveal where they are unless his trial is moved to the Netherlands, his lawyer said on Tuesday. |
| A Bucharest court began a trial on Tuesday of six Romanians charged with stealing artworks worth tens of millions of euros, including a Picasso and a Monet, a month after hearings were suspended to clear up procedural issues. | A Bucharest court began a trial on Tuesday of six Romanians charged with stealing artworks worth tens of millions of euros, including a Picasso and a Monet, a month after hearings were suspended to clear up procedural issues. |
| Defence lawyer Catalin Dancu told reporters that five of the seven paintings, originally believed to be in Romania, were being moved to a different country, possibly neighbouring Moldova. | Defence lawyer Catalin Dancu told reporters that five of the seven paintings, originally believed to be in Romania, were being moved to a different country, possibly neighbouring Moldova. |
| "All the five paintings that were in Romania are now abroad, in the east – in my opinion, in Moldova. A Russian Lipovan took the paintings abroad," Dancu said, referring to a member of an ethnic Russian minority living in Romania. He said the other two stolen artworks were in Belgium. | "All the five paintings that were in Romania are now abroad, in the east – in my opinion, in Moldova. A Russian Lipovan took the paintings abroad," Dancu said, referring to a member of an ethnic Russian minority living in Romania. He said the other two stolen artworks were in Belgium. |
| "Radu Dogaru has refused to tell where the five paintings are. Radu said: 'If the Dutch don't want to take me, no one sees the paintings'," Dancu said. | "Radu Dogaru has refused to tell where the five paintings are. Radu said: 'If the Dutch don't want to take me, no one sees the paintings'," Dancu said. |
| "Radu does not want to co-operate any more with Romanian authorities because he does not trust the justice system in Romania." | "Radu does not want to co-operate any more with Romanian authorities because he does not trust the justice system in Romania." |
| He reiterated that no paintings had been burned. | He reiterated that no paintings had been burned. |
| A Romanian team of experts earlier assessed that three of the paintings could have been destroyed by fire. Dogaru's mother said she had burned them to protect her son as police closed in. She later retracted her statement. | A Romanian team of experts earlier assessed that three of the paintings could have been destroyed by fire. Dogaru's mother said she had burned them to protect her son as police closed in. She later retracted her statement. |
| The paintings, which also included works by Matisse, Gauguin and Lucien Freud, were snatched from Rotterdam's Kunsthal museum in October in one of the art world's most dramatic heists of the past few years and among the biggest ever in the Netherlands. | The paintings, which also included works by Matisse, Gauguin and Lucien Freud, were snatched from Rotterdam's Kunsthal museum in October in one of the art world's most dramatic heists of the past few years and among the biggest ever in the Netherlands. |
| When they were stolen, specialists in recovering missing artworks said there was a good chance of getting them back. They said such pieces were so well known that it was almost impossible to sell them on the open market. | When they were stolen, specialists in recovering missing artworks said there was a good chance of getting them back. They said such pieces were so well known that it was almost impossible to sell them on the open market. |
| The start of the trial was attended by five of the six suspects. One of the five has been freed while on trial, while the sixth remains at large and is being tried in absentia. | The start of the trial was attended by five of the six suspects. One of the five has been freed while on trial, while the sixth remains at large and is being tried in absentia. |
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