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Oslo (dpa) - The trial against six men in connection with the theft of two still-missing masterpieces by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch entered its final stages Wednesday with closing arguments from the defence.
Defence lawyer Anja Karin Hellander was the first attorney to rebut prosecutor Terje Nyboe's closing arguments Tuesday where he called for prison sentences of between three and 11 years, and damages of some 750 million kroner (110 million dollars).
Comparing the robbery to "an attack on Norwegian culture and Norwegian history," Nyboe said that the sum would likely contribute to the return of the missing "Madonna" and a version of "The Scream".
The works were stolen from the Munch Museum in August 2004. Two armed men ripped the paintings off the museum walls and fled in a stolen car.
All six men have pleaded innocent.
Hellander argued that the prosecution had failed to present sufficient evidence that her client, Stian Skjold, "helped plan, aid or carry out the Munch robbery."
She added that police had failed to investigate leads including phone records that may have cleared Skjold, 30, who the prosecution claimed was one of the men present in the museum.
Skjold faces an eight-year sentence.
The other man in the museum has not been identified, while the suspected driver of the getaway car, Petter Tharaldsen, faces a 10- year jail term.
Tharaldsen's lawyer John Arild Aasen also maintained his client's innocence, saying the 34-year-old was at home at the time of the robbery.
Closing arguments were likely to continue through Friday, and a verdict was due in a few weeks time, court officials said.
Earlier in the trial, Skjold - who has denied involvement in the robbery - explained how he helped move the works about a month after the robbery.
He said he was contacted in September 2004 and met a man, whom he has refused to identify, at a bus where the stolen paintings were kept.
Skjold refused to say who had contacted him, but said that he helped lift the paintings that were packed in plastic bags from the bus into the other man's car. Both then left the location north of Oslo.
The bus was owned by Thomas Nataas, 35, who was charged with handling the stolen paintings and faces a four-year sentence, two years suspended.
The alleged mastermind, Bjorn Hoen, 37, faces 11 years.
The other men were charged with various counts including trying to pass on the stolen works and cleaning up the car used in the getaway.
The trial opened mid-February but was almost immediately adjourned for a day after defence lawyers complained that they had not had time to review transcripts of some 10,000 telephone calls presented in new evidence.
Lacking DNA or other forensic evidence, telephone records formed a key part of the prosecution's case.
The Munch Museum reopened in mid-June 2005 after being closed for months while security was upgraded.
Munch, who lived from 1863 to 1944, is considered one of Europe's most important expressionist artists.
Copyright 2006 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
