[MSN] Suspect of Hermitage theft gone crazy and put his eye out

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Suspect of Hermitage theft gone crazy and put his eye out

One more suspect was arrested for probable organization of the crime. 
The fourth suspect of this case is known to have been working in 
Lesgaft's Physical Training University. He might have instigated his 
colleague, the museum custodian's husband, who had been arrested before, 
to take use of his wife's capacities to steal and sell the exhibits. The 
investigation already calls him the crime organizer.

Probably, it became known about the fourth accomplice from the museum 
custodian's words, who confessed his guilt this week and started 
testifying that he had been aware of the origin of Russian art items 
which he pawned. Antiquarian Maxim Shepel, who was already arrested on 
suspicion of the Hermitage theft, was taken to hospital urgently in the 
evening on August, 8. 'He has the gravest eye injury,' his barrister 
Andrei Pavlov told, 'It was made with a sharp object, the optic nerve 
was hurt. His doctor says he will not be able to see. Moreover, Maxim is 
has serous problems with his psychic state. It is difficult to say what 
happened to Shepel. Doctors can only register a trauma but cannot 
explain how it had occurred.'

The arrested antiquarian was transferred to Specialized Hospital named 
after Gaz, where his wife Victoria tried to visit him. However, she was 
not allowed to do it, 'They did not let Maxim take medicines from 
hypertension and stomach ulcer,' Shepel's relatives told, 'We were 
informed of him being taken to hospital in the morning, when Victoria 
brought a parcel to him to the isolator in Lebedeva St. She was told her 
husband was not there. Vika burst into tears, and only then they said he 
was in hospital and even gave its address to her. Maxim cannot recognize 
any one now and does not realize where he is situated.' Investigation 
Isolator № 4 explains the accident with self-maiming on the basis of 
mental disorder. Shepel allegedly put his eye out himself with a pen. 
However, this version is doubtful: such objects are seized from 
prisoners. Moreover, it is rather difficult to make such an injury with 
a pen. Shepel's barrister Andrei Pavlov appealed Kuibyshev Court's 
decision, since everything Shepel is accused of is a bargain with 
chalice. According to Maxim's testimony, he had taken it from Yury, a 
sales assistant of a jewelry shop and took it to Moscow for sale. He 
brought money back: $10 thousand to Yury and $3 thousand to himself. By 
the way, Yury seems not to have been interrogated yet. Anyway, there is 
no his testimony in the case.

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