Trial Opens Over Porcelain Theft from French Presidency

(MENAFN) Three defendants stood before the Paris Criminal Court on Thursday, accused of orchestrating the theft of presidential porcelain valued at €370,000 ($437,000) from the heart of France's government.

The accused — a former treasury official from the French presidency, their romantic partner, and a guard employed at the Louvre — face charges of theft and unlawful possession of dozens of luxury porcelain pieces allegedly plundered from the Élysée Palace, a broadcaster reported.

France's prestigious Sèvres Manufactory, which produces the republic's official state porcelain, entered the case as a civil party, placing total damages at "€370,000," and valuing "each plate at around €5,000."

The investigation was triggered by the mysterious vanishing of high-end ceremonial tableware, prompting authorities to swiftly zero in on what prosecutors describe as an organized resale operation.

Court documents allege the treasurer, who held limited authorized access to retrieve damaged goods, exploited that privilege to siphon off undamaged pieces from the Sèvres Manufactory. His partner allegedly served as the primary seller, offloading the stolen items through secondary channels.

The third defendant — a Louvre receptionist described in court as a "passionate collector" — reportedly acquired "nearly 150 pieces" without raising questions about the sheer volume of goods changing hands.

The trial is expected to cast an uncomfortable spotlight on security vulnerabilities within two of France's most iconic and closely guarded institutions.

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