A man dressed as a security guard helped himself to a Lyon casino's safe on Tuesday.

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Casino takings stolen as employees look on

A man dressed as a security guard helped himself to a Lyon casino's safe on Tuesday.

Published: 17 June 2011 10:00 CEST

To those working at Le Pharaon casino, the arrival of a security guard late on Tuesday morning seemed completely normal.

Only one employee thought it odd that he was on his own and alerted his bosses. By then, the security guard had made off with 370,000 euros of the casino’s receipts, according to police. Casino managers claimed the amount was less.

The deputy manager of the casino, Arnaud Mourndjan, told AFP the thief was armed with all the necessary keys. “There are several needed, one to get into the building then at least two more to open the safe. He must have had them as the police have not seen any sign of a forced entry.”

Investigators are looking into the possibility of an inside job. “We can’t confirm he had inside help, but he certainly knew the casino very well and had all the necessary keys to get the money.”

The casino is owned by the Partouche Group and operates 47 casinos in France. Le Pharaon was the target of another robbery in April 2010 when five armed men stole several thousands of euros.

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France to set up national prosecutor's office for combatting organised crime

Speaking to French Sunday newspaper Tribune Dimanche, Eric Dupond-Moretti said he also intends to offer “repentant” drug traffickers a change of identify.

This new public prosecutor’s office – PNACO – “will strengthen our judicial arsenal to better fight against crime at the high end of the spectrum,” Dupond-Moretti explained.

Former head of the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office Jean-François Ricard, appointed a few days ago as special advisor to the minister, will be responsible for consultations to shape the reform, the details of which will be presented in October, Dupond-Moretti said.

Inspired by the pentiti (repent) law in force in Italy, which is used to fight mafia crime, Dupond-Moretti also announced that he would create a “genuine statute” that rewards repentance.

“Legislation [in France] already exists in this area, but it is far too restrictive and therefore not very effective,” Dupond-Moretti explained.

In future, a judge will be able to grant special status to a repentant criminal who has “collaborated with justice” and “made sincere, complete and decisive statements to dismantle criminal networks”.

The sentence incurred by the person concerned would be reduced and, for their protection, they would be offered, “an official and definitive change of civil status”, a “totally new” measure, the minister said.

The Minister of Justice is also proposing that, in future, special assize courts, composed solely of professional magistrates, be entrusted not only with organised drug trafficking, as is already the case today, but also with settling scores between traffickers.

This will avoid pressure and threats on the citizen jurors who have to judge these killings, he said.

Finally, the minister plans to create a crime of “organised criminal association” in the French penal code. This will be punishable by 20 years of imprisonment.

Currently, those who import “cocaine from Colombia” risk half that sentence for “criminal association”, he said.

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