Now he has claimed that a longstanding feud with the French government that came to a head over the Marquis manuscript was behind his fall from grace. In 2014, Lhéritier managed to buy the Marquis manuscript for $10million from its Swiss owner after a deal with the French government fell apart the year before. 'Filippetti and some malicious prosecutors thought that the manuscript would be submitted free of charge after Aristophil’s destruction,' Lhéritier said. However, he does believe that the Marquis manuscript is cursed, and led to his downfall. 'Maybe if I hadn’t touched the manuscript, Aristophil would still be here,' he said.

Source: Daily Mail March 28, 2018 16:18 UTC