Art Hostage wants to explore the reasons why the Gardner art has not been recovered and look at the obstacles preventing its safe recovery.
First of all the blame should be equally shared amongst the Underworld and Law Enforcement.
The Gardner Museum is caught between a rock and a hard place.
If the Gardner Museum was to go off and offer the reward, no conditions, not work with the FBI or Law Enforcement then yes I am sure Anthony Amore could indeed recover some of the Gardner art.
However, where would that leave the Museum and Anthony Amore in particular ???
From the start the Gardner Heist has provoked all kinds of issues not least that Law Enforcement cannot be seen to allow a private recovery of the Gardner art that did not come with arrests and indictments/prosecutions of anyone associated to the theft or subsequent handling of the Gardner Art.
I think we can all agree that the Gardner art, if recovered will not be recovered as a package and there would need to be several recoveries before the whole haul is safely home.
Working on that principal means any recovery that entailed arrests and indictments would drive the rest of the stolen Gardner deeper and further from view.
Art Hostage will add to this post as we go and firm up any opinions.
The current state of play is one of a Mexican stand-off whereby those who could give the vital information of the whereabouts of the Gardner art are reluctant to do so for fear of losing their right to do so in a manner which allows them to refuse to give any details of how they were able to facilitate the return of the Gardner art.
The tepid offer of immunity by Brian Kelly Ass U.S. Attorney of Mass has a vital hook included which means no-one in their right mind would come forward because of the requirement to reveal all and even testify against those who may be holding the Gardner art.
As regards the reward offer, of which Art Hostage has said publicly he wants not a dime of, then that is a small issue that can taken care of by way of the money placed into an Escrow account to show good faith by the Gardner Museum. Then if the immunity agreement was an open one, with no strings attached, then I am sure someone would step forward.
However, to achieve this the FBI and Prosecutors would have to publicly declare the immunity agreement with no conditions and the Museum would have to publicly declare the reward money is in an Escrow account and also declare the tariff for the payment dependant on which stolen Gardner artworks are recovered.
Of course Law Enforcement balk at this prospect and of course all the so-called goody two shoes of the art world will play along with the wishes of Law Enforcement.
The real change is the power of the web and Art Hostage in particular.
Never before has Law Enforcement found itself in the position whereby the sting operations are openly discussed and revealed for what they are.
Why even Bob Wittman has written his best seller which, upon reading gives clues as to the sole intention of Law Enforcement and means anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of the stolen Gardner art, as well as any stolen art, will not fall for the same old tricks used in the past.
Of course there will be art thieves and handlers who do fall for the old tricks of Law Enforcement but the majority will now not even bother too try and hand back any stolen art, including the Gardner art and the Cezanne and Degas from Switzerland to mention but a few.
From now on the clever part of the stolen art underworld will do their research and discover they have not a chance in hell in handing back stolen art, therefore the stolen art will just remain within the Underworld and those associated to that world.
Furthermore,the stolen art underworld will definitely make sure when they sell stolen art they are dealing with someone known to them and not the Undercover Police Officers used to such effect before the web, Art Hostage and Tell-All books such as the Bob Wittman blockbuster.
The unlawful way the Da Vinci Madonna was recovered has sent a clear message worldwide thanks to Art Hostage and that message will get clearer as the official complaints into the unlawful actions in the recovery of the Da Vinci Madonna are investigated.
You see Officials, Politicians and the like have two clear choices in the Da Vinci Madonna case, first, they can ignore the complaints and join the conspiracy, or second, they can investigate and distance themselves from corrupt, crooked, and unlawful practices used to recover the Da Vinci Madonna.
This case has a direct bearing on the Gardner case and all other stolen art cases because certain people are watching to see the outcome.
More to follow............
Comment 1
At last a piece of intelligent analysis of the problem.
The interests of owners and law enforcement are diametrically opposed.
The insurance industry has an agenda, which would shock owners.
Art recovery should be undertaken with integrity and transparency if law enforcement prevents art being recovered then whom are they serving.
Pose this question.
A policeman cannot recover the Gardener Art because the holder fears apprehension.
A member of the public who is willing to go the trouble of recovering the art cannot recover it because he fears apprehension.
If you have choice to make do you want the art back or people arrested?
Maybe the web can be forum for a solution to be found
We live in hope
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