Élysée Palace worker accused of stealing thousands worth of silverware

Three 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 Élysée Palace’s head steward reported the disappearance, with the estimated loss ranging between €15,000 and €40,000 euros (NZ$30,559-$81,491).

The Sèvres Manufactory — which supplied most of the furnishings — identified several of the missing items on online auction websites. Questioning of Élysée 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 specialising in the online sale of objects, notably tableware. Investigators discovered on his Vinted account a plate stamped French Air Force and Sèvres Manufactory ashtrays that are not available to the general public.

Around 100 objects were found in the silver steward’s personal locker, his vehicle and their home. Among the items recovered were copper saucepans, Sèvres porcelain, a René Lalique statuette and Baccarat champagne coupes.

The two were arrested on Tuesday. Investigators also identified a single receiver of the stolen goods. The recovered items were returned to the Élysée Palace.

The three suspects appeared in court on Thursday (local time) on charges of jointly stealing movable property listed as part of the national heritage — an offence 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 February 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.