The Debrecen Court of Justice has sentenced a man to a one-million-forint fine for attempting to commit money laundering by trying to sell a stolen and previously mutilated painting, the court’s spokesperson told MTI on Friday.
According to Dénes Dobó, the first-instance Debrecen District Court delivered its public verdict on November 18, 2024, finding the defendant guilty of attempted money laundering and imposing a one-million-forint fine. The painting was also confiscated.
The defendant and his lawyer initially appealed the ruling but later withdrew the appeal, making the district court’s first-instance judgment final.
The final judgment states that the painting The Painter’s Daughter by renowned Hungarian artist József Koszta was part of a private collection until November 15, 2000. After the owner passed away, the painting, along with several others, was stolen by unknown persons in November 2000. On September 11, 2007, the artwork was registered in the stolen cultural assets registry by the Prime Minister’s Office Art Supervision Authority.
An unknown individual mutilated the artwork by cutting off its left side, creating two separate pieces, which were then sold as independent artworks.
According to the spokesperson, in 2010 the defendant purchased one mutilated part of the original painting from a private individual for two million forints. Later that year, he learned under unclear circumstances that the painting was stolen.
The defendant kept the stolen painting in his possession until autumn 2021, when he submitted it to an auction house in Debrecen for sale in a December auction. The auction catalog was sent to the Prime Minister’s Office Art Supervision Authority, which identified the painting as part of the original stolen artwork.
The defendant’s attempt to sell the painting failed, and the artwork was confiscated. Its value is estimated between 6 and 8 million forints.
(MTI)
