Published: 1 November, 2008, 00:23
Edited: 1 November, 2008, 00:23
A Russian violinist has been arrested in Italy on suspicion of fraud. Sergey Dyachenko is suspected of selling his students fake 18th-century violins.
Police are investigating allegations that a student bought an antique violin from his teacher for 650,000 euros, which was later valued at 3,000 euros.
The student said he earlier agreed to buy a second violin from Dyachenko for 120,000 euros. They agreed to delay payment. Police arrested Dyachenko as his student was handing over the cash.
Detectives are also investigating allegations surrounding the sale of other instruments by the virtuoso violinist who now has Italian citizenship.
Dyachenko confessed that he'd bought some of the instruments at a flea market in Rome. However, when reselling them to his students, he demanded sky-high prices of between 20,000 and 80,000 euros.