Auschwitz suspects to spend three months in pre-trial custody

Dec 23, 2009, 14:48 GMT

Warsaw - A man suspected of inciting four others to steal the 'Arbeit macht frei' sign at the gates of the former Nazi death camp Auschwitz will spend three months in pre-trial custody, a Polish court in Krakow ruled Wednesday.

Court spokesman Rafal Lisak said Marcin A, who denies involvement in the crime, had been given the same custodial term as the one assigned to his suspected accomplices late Tuesday.

Lisak said the court had ruled there was a danger Marcin A might try to suppress evidence.

The accused men, who range in age from 20 to 39 years, face prison sentences up to 10 years if convicted of belonging to an organized crime ring and stealing and damaging the sign at the UNESCO World Heritage site.

Krakow state prosecutor Artur Wrona on Tuesday said it was 'highly probable' a 'person living outside Poland and without Polish citizenship' had ordered the theft of the infamous sign, which translates as 'Work brings freedom.'

Justice Minister Krzysztof Kwiatkowski also confirmed on Polish television that those who had ordered the crime were from a European country outside Poland. He would not comment on Polish media speculation that the suspect was a Swedish collector.

Polish police on Sunday announced the recovery of the metal sign, saying it had been defaced and cut into three parts.

They said the offenders were not right-wing radicals.