A senior police source tells the T&T Guardian there were in fact four paintings stolen from the National Museum last August, valued at a $1 million. The Guardian reported on Sunday that two Cazabon water colours, worth approximately $250,000 each, were taken from the museum last August. It is unclear whether the two additional stolen paintings were by Cazabon as well. The Cazabons were later returned by an art dealer who tried to sell them back to the museum. The source said the police went to the museum to interview the art dealer who provided receipts for the paintings and told police he had not been aware they were stolen. The dealer, who remains unnamed, claimed he bought them from somebody who came into his dealership in Port-of-Spain. Later he realised they were valuable and took them to the museum to sell.
He told police he had not seen the seller before but gave them a description. The police believed the dealer’s story, so they did not arrest him and he was free to leave. The T&T Guardian spoke to Minister of National Diversity and Social Integration Clifton De Coteau, who responded, unprompted, to the doubts some art experts have raised over the authenticity of the paintings that were returned. “The Cazabons [that were recovered] are genuine, because an expert looked at them and authenticated them. We then solicited for a second expert to look at them, so two specialists have assessed them. We know they are genuine.” The minister said he did not know how many paintings had gone missing in total. Asked whether the ministry had plans to increase staffing at the museum he said, “All of these things, the security and staffing, will be looked at. I’ve asked my deputy permanent secretary to look into it.”
Asked to comment on whether security and staffing at the museum were priorities, deputy permanent secretary Jacintha Bailey-Sobers said, “It has been a priority. We’ve been working with [the museum] to identify the positions that need to be filled. It’s not about creating new posts. “There’s currently an exercise all ministries are undergoing. There is a six-year plan for staffing all ministries with contract staff. We need to do an assessment and come to an agreement on how many extra employees the museum will have, both curatorially and security-wise.” Bailey-Sobers confirmed that security cameras at the museum had been upgraded and the Cazabon collection placed under restricted access since the thefts. She too was unable to provide any further information about the other thefts. The T&T Guardian is still seeking confirmation of the exact identity of the paintings, which is being withheld by museum curators. The police say the case is still open and investigations are continuing. Anyone with information regarding this case may contact them, in confidence, at 624-4440.