American art collector, billionaire and philanthropist Michael Steinhardt has returned 180 works of art and antiques stolen from around the world in recent decades - some from ancient Greece - worth $ 70 million, the justice system said. -Yorkese.
New York Attorney Cyrus Vance's announcement, the result of years of investigation, allows Michael Steinhardt, 80, to escape indictment and trial for the time being, but he is banned from life of acquiring antiques on the legal art market.
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According to Cyrus Vance, the 180 works of art, including a Greek deer-headed rhyton dating from 400 BC valued at $ 3.5 million and an ancient Greek larnax from 1,400-1,200 BC million dollars, "
will be returned as quickly as possible to their rightful owners in 11 countries
."
The total stolen property is valued at $ 70 million.
But the prosecutor appeared to rule out the prospect of an upcoming trial.
While underlining
Michael Steinhardt's “
indifference
” “
to the rights of peoples over their own sacred treasures
”, Cyrus Vance considered it preferable to quickly return these pieces rather than “
keep them as evidence for years
”, allowing the accused to avoid trial.
"
The agreement stipulates that Steinhardt will be subject to an unprecedented lifetime ban on the acquisition of antiques,
" the US prosecutor finally said.
