Defence attorneys: Stolen masterpieces not destroyed

Attorneys for the Romanians suspected in the theft of several masterpieces said Tuesday the missing paintings have not been destroyed. The defense attorneys say Radu Dogaru and five co-defendants, one of whom is still at large, have offered to return the artwork, worth millions of dollars, in exchange for moving their trial from Bucharest to the Netherlands, the BBC reported. One attorney said their clients had offered to return five paintings, with no mention made of the other two taken in the heist. "It is more likely the paintings are intact. My client says they can be handed over to the Dutch authorities. In exchange, they want to go on trial in the Netherlands," another attorney, Maria Varsii, said. After the disclosure that the paintings allegedly have not been destroyed, the trial was adjourned until Sept. 10, the BBC said. The paintings by Picasso, Gauguin, Monet and others were taken from Rotterdam's Kunsthal museum last October. Pieces of canvas, nails and other materials consistent with those expected to be found in the masterpieces were found in a stove in the home of Dogaru's mother Olga in February. She initially confessed to destroying some paintings but later retracted her statement.