In a worldwide case of smuggling antiques, in which the director of the Louvre Museum was already prosecuted last year, Egypt has recovered two ancient Artefacts from France, according to a statement made on Tuesday by Egyptian Public Prosecutor Hamada al-Sawy.
The Paris Court invited the Egyptian Embassy in France to attend the proceedings of the case after referring the suspect to trial thanks to international judicial cooperation between Egypt and France.
The evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that the suspect intentionally hid the plundered Artefacts in France, knowing that they would eventually reach there after being taken from Egypt.
The suspect facilitated the concealment process by leveraging his position as director of the Paris Antique Gallery and an antiques dealer by forging ownership certificates for the stolen goods using fake invoices and other paperwork.
His claims to the contrary were disproven, and it was further established that samples of fake documents were discovered on his computer.
He acknowledged being acquainted with one of the other defendants and knowing that the museum director had purchased the two stolen items.
In October 2022, the court decided that Egypt was the rightful owner of the looted artefacts, condemning the suspect and ordering him to pay Egypt money in restitution for the loss of the two objects.
