Paris Prosecutors Seek Trial For Giuliano Ruffini In Forgery Case

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Paris prosecutors have recommended that Giuliano Ruffini, suspected of orchestrating a large-scale forgery ring involving Old Master paintings, face trial on charges of commercial deception and money laundering. In a document reviewed by The Art Newspaper, magistrates also requested a new arrest warrant for Italian painter Lino Frongia, identified as the alleged creator of several forged works and described as“on the run” in Italy.

Prosecutors Clemence Radafshar and Marianne Frochot from the Parquet de Paris suggested focusing on the money laundering and deception charges, dropping the more serious accusations of gang fraud due to technical reasons. The prosecution is also pursuing charges against Ruffini's son, Mathieu Ruffini, and two intermediaries, Jean-Charles Méthiaz and Michaël Tordjmann, with whom Giuliano Ruffini is currently in a financial dispute.

A judge is expected to confirm the indictment in the coming weeks, potentially scheduling a trial as early as 2027. The international forgery scandal has centered on Giuliano Ruffini since 2016, when a painting of Venus, exhibited as a Cranach, was seized from the collection of the Prince of Liechtenstein; Ruffini had previously owned the work.

The controversy implicated major institutions globally, including the Musée du Louvre in Paris, the National Gallery in London, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Auction houses such as Sotheby's, Christie's, and Dorotheum, along with numerous European art galleries, experts, and dealers, were also involved. These entities had at various times authenticated or borrowed paintings sold by Ruffini, which were later attributed to artists like Orazio Gentileschi, Parmigianino, and Frans Hals.

Over more than 15 years, the prosecution has identified 13 works as fakes following forensic examinations by the French Museums' laboratory at the Louvre; James Martin's Orion Analytical in the US; French expert Violaine de Villemereuil; Anna Tummers, a Dutch Golden Age historian; and Gunnar Heydenreich, head of the Cranach Digital Archive. These pieces include the aforementioned Venus, a portrait attributed to Frans Hals, a David contemplating the head of Goliath attributed to Orazio Gentileschi, and a Portrait of cardinal Borgia claimed to be by Diego Velázquez. Works credited to El Greco, Correggio, Solario, and the Brueghels are also among them. Despite the findings, most owners of these works still assert their authenticity.

Giuliano Ruffini, who has consistently maintained his innocence, told The Art Newspaper in 2016:“The dealers, curators and experts were responsible for these attributions, not me. I have never attributed these paintings to Old Masters.” Prosecutors assert that none of these works have a credible provenance. Most were presented by Ruffini as originating from the collection of French entrepreneur André Borie. The prosecution stated:“The investigation established that André Borie never owned an art collection, as confirmed by his grandson, his former employees and the notary of his inheritance.”

In December 2022, Ruffini was charged in Paris with gang fraud and money laundering. He was released on €1 million bail and placed under legal surveillance. Mathieu Ruffini was also charged with money laundering in 2023 and allowed to return to Italy, his home country, with bail set at €200,000. France issued an arrest warrant for Frongia, but the Bologna court blocked his extradition in 2020.

Mathieu Ruffini previously told The Art Newspaper that he was“not aware of his father's business.” However, the prosecution alleges his name appeared in certain transactions, and he accumulated significant wealth and assets, including part of a building in Parma and the family's estate. In 2021, he reportedly received €2.3 million from his father, sourced from the sale of the alleged Frans Hals portrait. He is also accused of making payments to Lino Frongia totaling up to $740,000, €100,000, and possibly £618,000 through Swiss accounts.

Conversely, the prosecution has agreed to dismiss charges related to 18 other paintings. These decisions cite reasons such as the statute of limitations, lack of forensic examination, and insufficient evidence against Ruffini. Among these works is a painting of St. Gerome, sold by Sotheby's and later exhibited at the Met as a Parmigianino. Magistrates stated:“Although there is no doubt that it is a fake, given the presence of modern pigments.”

Paul Le Fèvre, the Ruffinis' lawyer, commented on the development:“Excluding 18 works, dropping gang fraud charges, all this underlines the fragility of this inflated proceeding.” He added that his clients“maintain their complete innocence.”

Source: The Art Newspaper

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