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Ricardo Mettler
PHOTO: Mlungisi Louw, Netwerk24
Ricardo Mettler, the former bodyguard of ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule, was found guilty in Free State High Court on one count of robbery after stealing a Pierneef painting worth millions from the office of the former Free State Prime Minister. in the OR Tambo building in Bloemfontein. .
According to Netwerk24, he was also convicted of money laundering for offering the painting to a Chinese businessman in Bloemfontein, Wei-Lin Hsi, as collateral for a loan.
READ | Pierneef’s Stolen Painting – Former Magashule Guard Wanted To Make Millions Quickly, State Charges
Mettler was also reportedly convicted of fraud after pretending the painting was donated to him by Magashule and that it legally belonged to him. Furthermore, the court found him guilty of making a false statement to the police, in which he said that Magashule handed him the painting.
The painting was pulled from a safe in Magashule’s office in March 2018.
It represents a mountainous landscape in the Free State. The undated Pierneef belongs to the government of the Free State.
READ | Pierneef Painting: What You Need To Know About Ace Magashule’s Former Bodyguard Theft Case
Arts24 previously reported that since Pierneef was considered one of South Africa’s old masters, the painting was valued at around R8 million when it disappeared two years ago.
More to follow.
– Compiled by Riaan Grobler
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