Ladies willing to spread their legs wide open for money

Toni Musulin, 39, has become a cult sensation in France after he drove off from the central city of Lyon with €11.6 million ($18.7 million) in his van on November 5, before surrendering to police after 11 days on the run.

"Contrary to what you might think, Toni Musulin is far from being the crook that we want to describe him as," defence lawyer Herve Banabanaste said.

"He is an interesting man.

"He receives marriage proposals and requests for his face to appear on T-shirts.

"We are in quite an absurd situation but he is taking it with a lot of humour."

More than €9 million were recovered by police in an underground Lyon parking lot two days after his disappearance, but Mr Musulin has refused to provide any information on the missing €2.5 million.

Mr Banabanaste declined to comment on when his client would break his silence on the money's whereabouts, saying only that "the moment will come when he will explain himself".

Mr Musulin pleaded guilty last Wednesday to theft but is contesting a charge of attempted fraud.

The charge of attempted fraud relates to a separate case concerning a Ferrari which Mr Musulin declared stolen but which authorities believe was smuggled out of the country.