there was an article in a Dutch newspaper(see Unidroit-list)in which
is claimed that Michel van Rijn and myself were arrested because of
God knows what.
The only thing true in that story is that Michel and myself are
WITNESSES in a case against a major British gang that tried to use
the artmarket for `bad` things...
So why the article you guys must think. Well that almost too sad to
be true. The journalist of the article, Henk Schutten, was - as many
of you might know - a former friend of Michel. Michel even gave him
the world-scoop of the Judas-gospel. Anyway, recently the friendship
ended. But the wife of Henk Schutten, a lawyer, had done some things
for Michel and she claimed a certain amount of money (see email
below). When Michel didn´t agree with that bill, suddenly her
husband the journalist contacted Michel saying that he would write
an article about the case in England. More or less he meant: if you
don´t pay my wife, you will get your name in the newspaper...
That´s how journalism works. Anyway, I will keep you updated about
the case.
For the Dutch readers, here the email from his wife the lawyer, to
Michel.
Beste Michel,
Ik vernam zojuist van onze boekhouding dat jij onze declaraties niet
betaalt. In totaal staat er een bedrag open van € xxxx. We hebben
volgens ons keurig gedeclareerd en niet alles in rekening gebracht.
Mocht je het daar niet mee eens zijn dan verneem ik dat graag van je
en kunnen we het bespreken.
Met vriendelijke groet,
Louise de Gier
--- In Ancientartifacts@yahoogroups.com, "tuppennyblue" <tim@...>
wrote:
>
> Michael van Rijn has probably made himself more enemies in
the antiquities world than anyone else I can think of, there is
every chance that he has been set up by one of them here. I
would like to hear his version too.
>
> Tim
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Aldo
> To: Ancientartifacts@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2008 4:16 PM
> Subject: [Ancientartifacts] Re: Michel van Rijn arrested for
antiquities laundering
>
>
> VICTIM OF ART FRAUD?? CONTACT: MICHEL VAN RIJN
>
> (From van Rijn's web site, www.michelvanrijn.nl)
>
> I would like to know van Rijn's version.
>
> Aldo
>
> --- In Ancientartifacts@yahoogroups.com, "Dave Welsh" <dwelsh46@>
> wrote:
> >
> > Art dealer Michel van Rijn suspected of laundering
> >
> >
>
http://www.museumbeveiliging.com/2008/03/22/kunsthandelaar-
michel-van-rijn-z
> > ou-witwassen/ [in Dutch]
> >
> > Amsterdam art dealer Michel van Rijn is suspected of
involvement in an
> > international conspiracy being investigated by British and
American
> > authorities. Earlier this year Van Rijn was arrested and
interrogated in
> > London by Scotland Yard. He was released on bail Friday.
> >
> > He allegedly certified artworks in three cases with a false
> certificate of
> > origin or provenance. The extent of the conspiracy is not
clear. But
> > according to a British source who is closely involved in the
> investigation,
> > the scandal may result in 'great harm to the international
arts and
> > antiquities trade.'
> >
> > Central to the investigation is London investment firm Aitco,
which
> financed
> > acquisition of works of art by Van Rijn . Aitco last year
placed two
> very
> > valuable archaeological items in an auction at Christie's New
York, for
> > which Van Rijn had provided a false provenance. According to
an official
> > statement from Scotland Yard six suspects were arrested,
including the
> > manager of Aitco. "The arrests took place after a two year
> investigation of
> > the ring, which is suspected to have falsified the origin of
stolen
> works of
> > art, which they claimed that they had inherited."
> >
> > The investigation developed rapidly when an auction alerted
police
> because
> > of doubts surrounding the origin of two valuable archaelogical
objects
> > offered for sale on June 8 of last year at Christie's in New
York: a
> > Byzantine lamp from the sixth century and a Byzantine mosaic
from
> the fifth
> > century.
> >
> > The mosaic, estimated at between 100,000 and 150,000 dollars,
did
> not reach
> > its estimate, but the lamp was sold for 84,000 dollars. In the
> catalogue of
> > Christie's was stated that the lamp came from the "Wieseman
collection,
> > Berlin, 1930s'. To ensure that it is not a reproduction the
buyer at
> > Christie's was asked for additional information. "When we
discovered
> that
> > there were problems surrounding the origin of the documents,
we notified
> > authorities," said spokesman Keith Carlisle. The Dutch
assistant to Van
> > Rijn, 38-year-old Amsterdam coin dealer Arthur Brand, is
suspected of
> > involvement in the scam.
> >
> > Brand admits that he made a false statement to a London
notary. "That
> > happened because we were threatened by Aitco. Then we reported
the
> case to
> > Scotland Yard."
> >
> > .
> >
> >
> > Dave Welsh
> > Unidroit-L Listowner
> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Unidroit-L
> > dwelsh46@
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------
>
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG.
> Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.21.8/1339 - Release Date:
22/03/2008 4:43 PM
>
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