Two remanded after €6m painting stolen (update 3)

Two men have been remanded in custody for eight days following the theft of a 19th century Edgar Degas painting worth €6 million – along with other valuables worth €157,000 – from the home of a 70-year-old in Limassol.
The two men, 44 and 53, appear to have conspired with a Russian, 55, to steal the painting from the collector’s house in Apaisia village, Limassol district. The Russian has been put on the stop list.
According to a police source, the 53-year old used to be a businessman in South Africa before relocating to Cyprus. Both men have denied any involvement to the case. They were remanded by the Limassol District Court.
The gold-gilded framed painting is titled Seated Dancer Adjusting Her Shoes. The owner claims it’s an original, saying that he has documents proving its authenticity.
The theft was reported to police by the 70-year-old Cypriot, who appears to be a collector.
He said his house had been broken into between 9.50am and 2.30pm on Monday.
Police said the Russian man had shown interest in buying the art collector’s estate along with some of the paintings in his collection. The other two suspects acted as middlemen. The Degas was not part of the deal.
A viewing had been arranged 15 days ago during which the Russian man also took photographs.
They arranged a meeting on Monday with their lawyers to close the deal. The painting was stolen while the 70-year-old was at the meeting.
According to news portal Sigmalive the art collector was in a dire financial situation.
The Degas was uninsured and the house doesn’t have an alarm system installed.
The burglars gained entrance to the house by breaking through the front door, using a crowbar.
They went straight for the Degas, ignoring all other paintings in the house.
Along with the painting by Degas – regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism – a safe containing seven gold watches, three pairs of gold opera glasses and other items worth €157,000 were also taken.
This case marks the biggest art theft ever recorded in Cyprus.

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