The Tate paid a lawyer for return of two stolen Turner paintings two years ago after previously denying it had paid the money. “Now the museum is admitting that it paid a German lawyer who claimed to be in contact with holders of the paintings, but it says the 3.1 million pounds was given in return for ‘information.’ However, it admits the possibility the money was passed on to thieves as ‘an unavoidable and inevitable consequence of recovery operations of this nature’.”