FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
A new development has occurred in the investigation into the sensational theft of jewels from the Louvre Museum. A 38-year-old woman, arrested last Wednesday along with four other suspects, was formally charged today with being an accomplice in “organized theft and participation in a criminal group with the aim of committing a crime.”
At the request of the prosecutor's office, the court hearing was held behind closed doors. The Paris prosecutor's office did not clarify how many of the suspects appeared in court today, but it is known that one of them was released yesterday. In total, seven people have been detained in connection with this case.
The two men previously arrested were charged with theft and participation in a criminal organization, after they had “partially admitted the charges,” according to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau. One of them is a 34-year-old Algerian national residing in France, identified through DNA traces found on one of the motorcycles used in the escape. The second is a 39-year-old unlicensed taxi driver from Aubervilliers, a suburb of Paris. Both had criminal records for theft.
According to authorities, the first was arrested at Charles de Gaulle airport as he was preparing to depart for Algeria; the second was caught near his apartment. The prosecution said there was no evidence that he was preparing to leave the country. Both are suspected of being the main perpetrators who entered the gallery, while two other accomplices waited outside to help them escape.
The robbery, which took place in broad daylight at the world's most visited museum, lasted just 7 minutes. During that time, the thieves stole jewelry worth an estimated 88 million euros.
The looted Bottini remains missing. During their escape, the thieves lost a crown adorned with diamonds and emeralds, once the property of Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III. The gang stole a total of eight other objects of extraordinary value, including an emerald and diamond pendant that Napoleon I had given to Empress Maria Luisa, as well as a diadem with nearly 2,000 diamonds that also belonged to Eugenie.
On Friday, French Culture Minister Rachida Dati released the first findings of an investigation into security at the Louvre, giving it a highly critical assessment. She said the museum had shown a “chronic and structural underestimation of the risk of intrusions and thefts,” a lack of modern security equipment, inadequate management, and outdated protocols for responding to incidents of this type.
Lini një Përgjigje