Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Oslo (dpa) - A lawyer representing the alleged ringleader of a 2004 bank robbery played a key role in the safe return of two paintings by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, reports said Sunday.
Attorney Oystein Storrvik reportedly informed police about the whereabouts of the masterpieces that were recovered from a warehouse in Oslo last August, daily Verdens Gang said.
The negotiations were conducted over several months although Storrvik said he had "no comment" when contacted by the newspaper.
David Toska, who has denied any involvement in the Munch theft, has appealed a 19-year sentence for his alleged role as ringleader of the April 2004 bank robbery in the coastal city of Stavanger that claimed a police officer's life.
The VG report renewed speculation that the Munch Museum heist in August 2004 was conducted in order to divert police resources from the Stavanger robbery probe where a police officer was killed.
Lead inspector Iver Stensrud said no reward has been paid for the return of the paintings.
Last year, museum conservators said the Munch works The Scream and The Madonna had suffered irreparable damage after being ripped from the museum walls but visitors would likely not be able to see it.
Three Norwegians have been sentenced to between four and eight years in prison for the theft of the paintings.
An appeal trial is pending in February.
Munch, who lived from 1863 to 1944, is considered one of Europe's most important expressionist artists. He made several versions of the two recovered works.
Copyright 2007 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
