By John Ikani
Egyptian Public Prosecutor Hamada al-Sawy on Tuesday announced the successful recovery of two ancient murals from France.
The retrieval marks a significant development in an international case involving the smuggling of antiquities, which had previously led to charges against the director of the Louvre Museum last year.
Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Egypt and France in terms of international judicial cooperation, the Egyptian Embassy in France received an invitation from a Paris Court to attend the hearings related to the case after the suspect was referred to trial.
During the trial sessions, it became evident that the suspect had intentionally concealed the stolen artifacts in France, fully aware that they had been illegally taken from Egypt.
Leveraging his position as an antiques dealer and director of the Paris Antique Gallery, the suspect played a pivotal role in facilitating the intricate process of hiding the looted pieces.
To further complicate matters, he resorted to forging ownership documents, including invoices and other relevant papers.
However, the suspect’s claims proved to be baseless as evidence mounted against him.
Investigators discovered samples of forged documents on his computer, casting doubt on his defenses.
Moreover, the suspect admitted to having a connection with one of the other defendants involved in the case, acknowledging that the museum director had purchased the two looted pieces.
In a momentous ruling in October 2022, the court affirmed Egypt’s rightful ownership of the pilfered artifacts.
The suspect faced conviction and was ordered to provide financial compensation to Egypt, in addition to forfeiting the two looted pieces, which would be returned to their rightful homeland.
