§ Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthornasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are concerned that criminal conduct may have been involved in the Sevso case (Marquess of Northampton v. Allen & Overy and Peter Mimpriss), given the reported scale of the settlement. [HL2677]
§ Lord Williams of MostynThe Sevso Collection came to public attention in 1990 via a public exhibition of the silver by Sotheby's prior to auction in New York. Once exhibited, writs were served on Sotheby's by the Lebanese, Yugoslav and Hungarian Governments, all of whom claimed true title. A request was made to the United Kingdom Government by the above governments for New Scotland Yard to investigate the origin of the current possession of the collection.
148WAA lengthy investigation followed which did not reveal any criminal involvement of Sotheby's or Lord Northampton, who had offered the collection for auction as the owner of the silver. I understand from the Metropolitan Police that a number of possible criminal offences committed within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court were identified during the investigation. However, the Crown Prosecution Service decided it was not in the public interest to prosecute any individual concerned in the purchase. New Scotland Yard's investigation was closed in 1993. Further assistance was sought by those countries who continued to claim ownership of the silver. The New York court which heard the title dispute ruled that none of the countries had produced sufficient evidence at that time to prove good title. The New York court therefore awarded title to Lord Northampton.