Ukrainian businessman goes on trial in France for art theft
NANCY, France (FBC) A 64-year-old Ukrainian art dealer is on trial for allegedly stealing millions of works from museums and auction houses in 2017 and 2018.
Vadim Khuzva, especially in 2010 In May 2018, he was suspected of stealing a painting by French impressionist Paul Sinac from the “Port de la Rochelle” (Port of La Rochelle) art museum in Nancy, eastern France.
Investigators tracked him down when the painting was found in a house allegedly owned by a police associate in Ukraine, which he returned to Nancy’s museum.
Huzva denied the allegation on Monday.
“I don’t see that I have anything to do with this. You have no proof of your allegations,” he told the court.
Prosecutors said Huzva was part of a group of four accused of stealing several paintings.
Khuzva was alone in the dock because the three are in prison in Ukraine on other charges.
“That theft was really horrible,” said Richard Dagournet, director of the Nancy museum, of “Port de la Rochelle,” painted in 1915 and valued at 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million).
Khuzva is also accused of stealing a book of rare Russian gouaches and works by artists Eugène Boudin, Giorgio de Chirico, Eugène Gallien-Lalot and Auguste Renoir from museums or auction houses across France.
The trial is scheduled to end on Tuesday.
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