French antiques frauds found guilty of Versailles

Two French experts in antiques were convicted of the coefficient of historical chairs, which, according to them, once belonged to the French royal, such as Marie Antonette.

Georges “Bill” fence and Bruno Desnus received four months behind bars, as well as longer conditional terms for the sale of a number of fake chairs of the 18th century collector, including the Versailles Palace and the Qatari Royal Family.

As both have already served four months in duration, they will not return to prison.

Another defendant, Laurent Kramer, who – together with his gallery – was accused of failing to adequately test the authenticity of chairs before selling them, was justified by the fraud.

The court decision on Wednesday was the culmination of a nine -year investigation, which flashed the world of French antiques.

In court in Pontoise, north of Paris, the judge also handed out heavy fines Pallot and Desnoues of 200,000 euros (169,500 pounds) and EUR 100,000.

Responding to his verdict, Palot said it was “a little harsh financially”, but he was glad that his Paris apartment would not be confiscated, AFP -Agency reports.

During the trial, the prosecution claimed that Laurent Kramer and his gallery in Paris were guilty of not having enough to check the authenticity they acquired before selling them to buyers, such as Qatari Prince Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Tanya, who bought two chairs, which they said.

But on Wednesday, Mr. Kramer and the gallery were justified. They always denied to know about counterfeiting.

In a comment sent by the BBC, his lawyers said the verdict “demonstrated the innocence that Kramer claims from the first case.”

“The gallery fell victim to the forgery; she did not know that the furniture was fake, and she could not discover it as it follows,” said Martin Ryne and Mauris Correge.

“For almost 10 years, our customers have mistakenly accused. They were patiently waiting for the truth to appear. Now it is done, and for them great relief to see their innocence today,” they added.

In the midst of his career, the plane was considered a chief scientist on the French chairmen of the 18th century, writing a reputable book on the subject.

He was also a teacher of the prestigious University of Sorbon in Paris, with access to the historical records of the Versailles Palace, including stocks of royal furniture that existed in the palace in the 18th century.

Pallot was able to determine exactly what chairs were not taken into account in the collections, and then made replicas with the help of desnoues, awarded the sculptor and the cabinet manufacturer, which was busy with the main furniture for Versails.

“I was the head, and Desnus was hands,” Polata said in court during the lawsuit in March.

“It went like the wind,” he added. “Everything was fake, but money.”

Prosecutor Pascal Reyer stated that in his final arguments during the trial, the case was shining “rare and excellent attention on the market of historical furniture, bringing out the world of the world, which was stamped with confidentiality and opinion.”

He said it revealed the shortcomings of the market and “the conflict of interest inherent in its structures, especially where the experts such as Bill Person, and his accomplice Desnoues Desnoues, also the merchants who are undisclosed by the buyer.”

Mr. Reyer said the case “led to a violation of the whole market, which emphasized the need for more reliable regulation of the art market to achieve transparency and justice transactions.”

Other cases that came out of the muddy world antique in France over the last decade include the deceased Jean Lupa, who has also been accused of selling fake royal furniture of 17 and 18th centuries around the world. He died in 2023 before he had to go to court.