Louvre security needs ‘years’ to fix

Museum in France awaits key upgrades

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French Court of Accounts (Cour des Comptes) first President Pierre Moscovici, left, speaks during the presentation of the Court of Accounts' report on the Louvre, at the Court of Accounts in Paris on Thursday.

(AFP)

France's Louvre Museum began a security audit a decade ago but the recommended upgrades will not be completed until 2032, the state auditor said in a report on Thursday compiled before a spectacular heist there last month.

The daylight robbery, in which four robbers made off with jewels worth US$102 million (3.3 billion baht), raised doubts over the credibility of the world’s most-visited museum as a guardian for its myriad works. Officials have admitted security was not up to scratch. While investigators have charged four suspects for involvement in the raid, the treasures have yet to be recovered.

Excerpts from the report, which was published on Thursday by the national audit office, known as the Cour des Comptes, had already leaked in the media days after the raid.