Criminal complaint filed in London regarding sale of Argentine ID document

Friday, April 2nd 2021 - 18:17 UTC

Full article 4 comments

Esteban's lawyer in London told MercoPress he attempted to recover the ID with assistance fromDWB auction house but they were unsuccessful.

LONDON, UK – A criminal complaint was filed this week with the Metropolitan Police in London regarding the sale of Argentine veteran of the 1982 conflict, Edgardo Esteban’s identity document. The complaint refers to the sale of his ID document by a London auction house and then trading website which according to the complaint is illegal as it was stolen property.

Late last year MercoPress reported Esteban’s ID document was auctioned by Diz Noonan Webb (DWB) of Mayfair London for £750. It was purchased by ‘harrypitt69‘ who then put it up for sale on eBay for £1700. It’s not known who he sold it to.

Federico Cincotta lawyer of Cincotta International Advisory Firm, representing Esteban in London, told MercoPress he attempted to recover the ID with assistance from DWB auction house but they were unsuccessful.

“My complaint is based on the S22 Theft Act 1968, regarding the sale of stolen property and the Identity Documents Act 2010, regarding possessing someone else’s ID document,” Cincotta told MercoPress.

In the presentation Cincotta mentions that the people who sold it knew it had been taken from Esteban by a British soldier, P.J. Sinclair who also had Esteban’s personal photographs, which were also sold.

Esteban was an 18 year old conscript during the 1982 conflict and says his ID and other personal items were confiscated when he boarded the ship Canberra to be returned to Argentina.

He is now a well known journalist and author and the current director of the Museo Malvinas in Buenos Aires.

Referring to the police complaint Esteban he said “I need to get my ID document back to be able to end this period of my life and for humanitarian reasons.”

Heather Briley
London

Categories: Politics, Argentina, Falkland Islands, International.

Tags: eBay, Edgardo Esteban, Falklands War, London, United Kingdom.

Top Comments

Disclaimer & comment rules

FitzRoy
It's remarkable just how many conscripts didn't collect their ID cards when they stepped off the Canberra, Uganda, Norland and others when they arrived back in Argentina. Their ID cards were actually taken as laid down by the Geneva Convention. The fact that this guy didn't claim his papers back is his own fault.
Perhaps the Argentine government will be moved to return Sir Rex Hunt's medals.
Apr 03rd, 2021 - 10:41 am +3
Pugol-H
It’s remarkable they arrived back in Argentina at all considering all those ships had been sunk, one of them twice.

Interesting to see what if anything the Met do about it, where is The Thailand Cozzer when you need him?

Either way probably going to be difficult to find them now.
Apr 03rd, 2021 - 12:24 pm 0
pgerman
@FitzRoy

I totally agree with you. I have never heard that Mr. Rex Hunt's personal belonging were taken by argentine militars.
Apr 05th, 2021 - 01:14 pm 0

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