Evening star., 1953-07-19
6GuiIty in SS5O,OOO
Aga Khan Robbery;
Three Are Acquitted
BY The Assoeiased Pres.

AK EN- PROVENCE, France.
July 18-Six men were convicted
here today of robbing the Aga
Khan and his wife of $3.50, 900 IN
jewels in a holdup four years
ago and were sentenced to prison
terms ranging from four to 10
years.
OF IL accused of 1lotting and
staging the holdup, in which the
Geaurn Aga Khan lost some of
her most dazzling gems, only
nine were arrested. Three of
these were acquitted today. The
three fugitives will be tried if and
when they are caught, the court
ruled.
All but $s4O,0O0 worth of the
loot has been recovered.
The spotlight was aimed
mostly on the three men the
seven-man jury decided were in
nocent and it concentrated on
Georges Lindsay Watson, a war
time hero who says he is Prime
Minister Churchill's godSon.
(Mr. Churchill said it is possible.
since he has been godfather at a
lot of christenings.
Beams. at Spectators.
Watson denied repeatedly that
he was the man who gave the
holdup gang the time and route
that the Aga Khan'S car would
take on the Cannes-Nice road. He
beamed at the spectators and his
friends when the verdict was
read.
Also freed were Charles Ven
cileoni, Marseille restaurant
operator charged with receiving
the stolen jewels, and Henri Waf-
felman. accused of cutting the
SIT 900 La Marquise" diamond
The convicted:
Francois Sanna, sentenced to
10 years. and Jacques Benedctti,
eight years. These two were
charged with seizing the loot
from the car Of the Aga Khan,
leader of Ismali Moslems.
Barthelemy Ruberti, six years
He rode a Wobbly bicycle in the
path of the car and forced the
driver to put on the brakes.
Jules Battistelli, five years. The
cut-down La Marquise" was
found in his possession, the in
dictment said.
Accused of Trimming Gem.
Hilarion Fromanger, four
years. He also was accused OF
trimming the gem.
Leon Jollivet, five years. The
gang buried the jewels in the
garden of his villa and Jollivet
said he thought they were "onIy
drugs"
With the Begun Aga Khan,
the religious leaders fourth wife
and former beauty queen, as
chief prosecution witness. the
trial was a dramatic sensation
from it's opening on July 6, even
though her husbands health
prevented him from attending.
A high point was the testimony
of Georges Valantin. head of the
French Judicial Police. He &C
cused his former superior, Pierre
Bertaux, of helping Paulo Leca
reputed to be the key plotter
to evade arrest. Moreover
Valantin added, Bertaux prob.
ably still had in his possession
the $240.000 worth of the Be.
gums jewelry still unrecovered
Denies Accusation.
Bertaux denied these accuse.
tions and said Valantin was
disgruntled because he had beer
called off the robbery investiga-
ton when he pushed himself
into it without authorization.
Actually, Bertaux already hac
been cleared of Valantin's
charges in a departmental in
vestigation earlier. But he has
been suspended by the interior
Ministry as honorary prefect o1
the National Security Police.
Both Bertaux and Valantir
bolstered the Watson defense
contention that another de.
fendant under police examina-
ton named him as the tip-of
man to cover the name of the
real culprit.
Watson, a member Of thu
French Legion of Honor anc
holder of 16 decorations for war.
time resistance exploits in which
he was wounded 10 times, hac
the undisguised sympathy of th'
spectators from the start of thu
trial. His attorney was ap
plauded when he finished hi