The Giza Criminal Court on Tuesday adjourned the trial of three senior officials in the antiquities sector charged with stealing a statue from the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) to July 6, due to the inability of the defendants to attend the session.
According to the Public Prosecution’s referral order, the defendants embezzled the ancient statue of Osiris which dates back to the late Pharaonic era from the inorganic antiquities storeroom at GEM, where they were responsible for its preservation.
They also embezzled the official report proving the procedures for receiving the statue, and withheld the statue and the report from the competent authority.
The Public Prosecution charged the first defendant – the head of the antiquities store and treasurer of the inorganic antiquities store at the Antiquities Restoration Center at the GEM – with embezzling funds and papers found in his possession due to his occupation.
The prosecution said that the first defendant embezzled an antique bronze statue of Osiris dating back to the late Pharaonic era from registered state-owned antiquities entrusted to him for its preservation, and embezzled the original paper from the report dated October 10, 2012 proving the procedures for receiving the statue.
According to the prosecution, said defendant embezzled the statue and documents with the intention of owning them and hiding them from his employer.
He forged the antiquities movements booklet in the inorganic antiquities store #91 in the Antiquities Restoration Center, the registration of antiquities at the museum, and the delivery list of the antiquities custody attached to the report dated January 29, 2015.
