Law, crime and regulation

MADAM – I was open-mouthed in disbelief to see again opinion discussed as fact when the ivory issue was aired on national television (ATG No 2334).

MADAM – I have pieces of antique elephant tusk ivory that I collected unconcerned about the (now well-known) conservation problems.

An investigation in Germany into an Israeli art dealer, charged with being the ringleader of an international fraud ring, has concluded after the two central allegations against him were dropped.

Leaders of four African countries have called on the UK and the EU to ban the trade in antique ivory to help stop elephant poaching.

William George, an online-only auctioneer which ceased trading antique ivory in 2017, is setting up a group called Auctioneers Against Ivory for auctioneers considering their own antique ivory strategies.

Art market experts are calling for the trade to tackle the widely reported claim that the sector is unregulated, made by a defendant in a $50m international money-laundering case.

MADAM – Last week (ATG No 2332) you published a response from lobby group Two Million Tusks to my suggestion that there should be a TV programme on the subject of ivory.

There tends to be two key narratives about the antiques business of interest to the mainstream media.

Last year there were fears the Metropolitan Police’s Art & Antiques Unit would be closed after two of its members were seconded to the Grenfell Tower fire enquiry. However, in December the team was reunited and a new boss Det Sgt Rob Upham, with 23 years’ experience in the Met, was brought in to lead the team. ATG caught up with him recently.

MADAM – We write in response to the letter written by Daniel Fearon suggesting a special BBC Antiques Roadshow programme to discuss/ showcase objects solely made of, or incorporating ivory (ATG No 2330).

The recent court case concerning Simon De Pury’s claim against Swiss trustees for a commission of $10m on the sale of a $210m Gauguin (ATG No 2326) has raised a few eyebrows.