Justice has decided, ten years after “the heist of the century”. This Thursday, the Cannes Commercial Court sentenced the Carlton and a private security company to pay 7.7 million euros each to the insurer of a major jewelry brand which had been robbed for 103 million euros. of diamonds on display in the hotel.
On July 28, 2013, in the middle of the day, a masked and armed man burst into the rooms of the establishment, on the ground floor, where the Leviev house was organizing an exhibition. He made the security guards lie down and managed to leave the premises through a French window that remained open, carrying 72 jewels, each more impressive than the other. Never to be worried. This robbery, the most expensive ever recorded in France, has not been elucidated. Both the loot and the thief were never found.
The insurer claimed 72 million
Lloyd’s, the insurer of the jewelry brand, which reimbursed it 73 million euros, claimed 72 million from the Carlton hotel and the company BSL, responsible for security that day. The Cannes commercial court did not go that far, ordering each of the parties to pay it 7.7 million euros, plus 35,000 euros under article 700 of the code of civil procedure to cover the costs related to the procedure, we learned from concordant sources.
At the time of the events, a trade union representative from the hotel explained: “we do not have the security parameters that exist in traditional jewelry stores, such as a security lock for example”. Contacted by 20 minutes, the law firm of the establishment of the Croisette did not wish to speak “immediately”, the court decision having been communicated only orally for the moment. Management did not respond either.
“A Judgment of Solomon”
“We have a bit of the impression that the court has rendered a judgment of Salomon between the demands of Lloyd’s and the fact that the hotel like the company that I defend rejects all responsibility”, declared for his part to 20 minutes Me Yves Moraine, the council of the BSL security company, itself insured up to 10 million euros.
The lawyer recalls that he argued during the various hearings that “a security audit commissioned by the insurer on previous jewelry exhibitions had not been brought to the attention of either the Carlton or the security “. All parties still have the opportunity to appeal and have the case re-tried.