Three men are set to stand trial next year after a silver steward at the French president’s residence was arrested for stealing silverware worth thousands of euros<\/b>
\nThree men will stand trial next year after a silver steward employed at the official residence of the French president was arrested this week for the theft of items of silverware and table service worth thousands of euros, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.
The \u00c9lys\u00e9e Palace\u2019s head steward reported the disappearance, with the estimated loss ranging between 15,000 and 40,000 euros (($17,500-$47,000).
The S\u00e8vres Manufactory \u2014 which supplied most of the furnishings \u2014 identified several of the missing items on online auction websites. Questioning of \u00c9lys\u00e9e staff led investigators to suspect one of the silver stewards, whose inventory records gave the impression he was planning future thefts.
Investigators established that the man was in a relationship with the manager of a company specializing in the online sale of objects, notably tableware. Investigators discovered on his Vinted account a plate stamped \u201cFrench Air Force\u201d and \u201cS\u00e8vres Manufactory\u201d ashtrays that are not available to the general public.
Around 100 objects were found in the silver steward\u2019s personal locker, his vehicle and their home. Among the items recovered were copper saucepans, S\u00e8vres porcelain, a Ren\u00e9 Lalique statuette and Baccarat champagne coupes.
The two were arrested Tuesday. Investigators also identified a single receiver of the stolen goods. The recovered items were returned to the \u00c9lys\u00e9e Palace.
The three suspects appeared in court Thursday on charges of jointly stealing movable property listed as part of the national heritage \u2014 an offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a 150,000-euro fine, as well as aggravated handling of stolen goods.
The trial was postponed to Feb. 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.<\/p>\n