Trial of “red collar”: the secrets of Drouot in court – The Obs

This is a river that trial will begin this lunndi afternoon at the Paris Criminal Court. Forty-four “red collar”, four auctioneers, a sales manager and an employee is summoned for criminal conspiracy, robbery or theft of complicity in organized gang.

Who are these red collars ? At Drouot, the Paris room sales, also called the “Savoy”. Recognizable by their black jacket with red collar (hence the nickname), they belonged to the Union of Commissioners of the Auction House (UCHV) corporation founded in 1834. Originally, most of its members were from villages in Haute-Savoie. At Drouot, they assured handling and transportation of items for sale

Objects disappear

In 2009, the scandal broke. Several of these red necks are suspected of having stolen objects either in private (on the occasion of inventories drawn up after death, for example) or even Drouot. In the stolen items there is a table of Courbet, of Eileen Gray chairs, jewelry, master drawings, furniture and other valuables

Problem:. It is easy to drop an object of the truck must still be able to benefit. Some red necks say these stolen items were passed at Drouot with the complicity of auctioneers who included them in their catalogs.

When these schemes are uncovered, all eyes converge Drouot. Pessimists think that the Parisian auction room will implode. And already announcing the end of the temple of the auction.

Drouot victim?

From the beginning of the investigation, however, Drouot Patrimoine (the company that operates the Hotel Sales ) decides to bring civil, believing be the victim in this case. “Drouot meant to be heard as a victim of these flights,” said his lawyer, Mr. Karim Beylouni.

“This case has caused material damage and harm the image of the auction market based on trust. If you break it, you endanger its activity. contrary to what have been said, never Drouot management is not aware of the flights that were committed. on the other hand, it does was not the employer of red necks, these being members UCHV. “

it remains the role of auctioneers. Could they ignore the items they were selling had been stolen? Four of them have they not been indicted? Karim Beylouni, “they are a minority, they are four to one hundred organizing sales at Drouot. The court will have to determine if they acted knowingly, they are accomplices or whether they acted negligently. Be that in any event, it is clear that it was not in their interest to act fraudulently. “

competition takes advantage

what is certain in any case, it ‘ is that in this case, Drouot left feathers. In 2013, the sales revenue amounted to 407 million euros. For 2014 and 2015, this fell to 385 million euros. A slip that occurs when its main competitors triumph: in 2015, sales of Christie’s (auction house based in London and owned by François Pinault) saw his Parisian turnover increase of 28% could then Artcurial claim to have doubled its sales within 5 years.

Correctional Tribunal hearings may in any case be agitated. Faced with plaintiffs and about twenty complainants, red collar and auctioneers will answer many questions that continue to shake the midst of public sales. The discussions are expected to last three weeks and the verdict on 4 April.

Bernard Géniès