Banksy Mural Remover Could Face Years In Ukrainian Jail For Attempted Theft

Banksy’s spray-painting spree in Ukraine has left an entire nation grateful, and at least one with the prospect of going behind bars.

On December 2, Kyiv police nabbed a gang of thieves attempting to make away with a mural the anonymous street artist had freshly created in the Kyiv town of Hostomel in response to the war between Ukraine and Russia. The artwork portrays a woman in a dressing gown, with a fire extinguisher and a gas mask strapped over her face.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Banksy (@banksy)

Neighbors had spotted the graffiti being carved out from the wall and alerted law enforcers. The group reportedly used wooden boards and polyethylene to transport the painting.

The country’s interior ministry now says that the suspected mastermind behind the crime stands to face up to 12 years in prison if found guilty.

In a news release (via Reuters), the ministry details that the man accused of orchestrating the theft of the work, valued at over nine million hryvnia (US$243,000), was handed a “suspicion notice.”

The suspect, a self-proclaimed activist, had asserted then that he was meaning to sell the mural to raise funds for “humanitarian and military purposes,” noting how lucrative Banksy artworks can be.

The vandalized painting was confiscated by authorities, and the Ministry of Culture is still deciding next steps for it.

Prosecutors asked for a 12-year sentence for the man, who is the sole defendant of the crime, at the beginning of his trial. They described that he was aware of the mural’s worth and wanted to sell it and use the proceeds “as he saw fit.”

The prosecution added that the defendant had contracted men who were oblivious to his motivations for taking the work and were convinced that he had obtained the permits to take down the artwork.

[via Reuters and The Brussels Times, images via various sources]