Élysée Palace silver steward arrested in theft of thousands’ worth of silverware

PARIS — Three men will stand trial next year after a silver steward employed at the official residence of the French president was arrested this week in the theft of items of silverware and table service worth thousands of euros, the Paris prosecutor’s office said

PARIS — Three men will stand trial next year after a silver steward employed at the official residence of the French president was arrested this week in 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 of 15,000 to 40,000 euros (($17,500-$47,000).

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, authorities said.

Investigators said they established that the man was in a relationship with the manager of a company specializing in the online sale of objects, notably tableware. Investigators said they 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, authorities said. Among the items recovered were copper saucepans, Sèvres porcelain, a René Lalique statuette and Baccarat champagne coupes, they said.