An architect from Belgrade accused of stealing three antique vases and a clock in Malta

MALTA – Ljubica Živković (52) from Belgrade, an architect who worked on the restoration of the Palace of the Masters of the Maltese Order, was accused of stealing three antique vases and a clock from a historical building in Valletta, Malta.

Živković denied aggravated theft, illegal possession of illegally acquired cultural property and breach of probation for similar crimes, The Times of Malta reported. The architect, who lives in Iklin, was a project manager working for a restoration firm involved in the palace’s work, unnamed sources said.

She joined the team during the last six months of the project, handling last-minute construction work.

Her role meant she had access to the entire palace, which reopened to visitors in January after years of extensive restoration. The court was told that the items she allegedly stole were not returned. The theft was reported on April 5. The court heard that the defendant, who is described in court filings as an architect, has a substance abuse problem and was on probation for similar crimes.

Attorney Raquel Tua said she could not be identified in the footage police have. After the prosecution pointed to her criminal record and the fact that her associates had yet to testify, she was denied bail. The Times of Malta reported yesterday that police had identified the suspect after reviewing footage from several security cameras. All three vases and the clock are valued at 13,000 euros.

The disappearance of the vase and the clock followed less than a month after two gold medals worth 400,000 euros were stolen from the Maritime Museum in Vittoriosa, reports Tanjug.