British Museum boss Hartwig Fischer defends 2021 theft investigation

The caput of the British Museum has defended its probe into allegedly stolen items, aft an creation trader said helium alerted bosses successful 2021.

The British Museum told Ittai Gradel that "all objects were accounted for", according to emails seen by the BBC.

Museum manager Hartwig Fischer present claims the creation trader had much items successful his possession, chartless to the museum.

Dr Gradel claimed that was an "outright lie", adding the depository did not interaction him contempt making himself available.

The depository has sacked a subordinate of unit aft treasures were reported "missing, stolen oregon damaged".

Emails seen by BBC News betwixt Dr Gradel and the depository look to amusement the London instauration was alerted to the thefts successful 2021 but it appears that they did not instrumentality capable action.

In a connection released connected Wednesday, Mr Fischer said that erstwhile allegations were brought to the British Museum successful 2021, "we took them incredibly seriously, and instantly acceptable up an investigation".

"Concerns were lone raised astir a tiny fig of items, and our probe concluded that those items were each accounted for," helium continued.

"We present person crushed to judge that the idiosyncratic who raised concerns had galore much items successful his possession, and it's frustrating that that was not revealed to america arsenic it would person aided our investigations," helium said.

Mr Fischer said a "full audit" was launched successful 2022, which "revealed a bigger problem", aft which they alerted the constabulary and a disciplinary process was launched. This "resulted successful a subordinate of unit being dismissed," Mr Fischer said.

He added that his precedence was to the "incredible British Museum collection".

In response, Dr Gradel said: "The assertion that I withheld accusation from the British Museum is an outright lie.

"I was explicit successful my connection with the British Museum that I was wholly astatine their disposal for immoderate further accusation oregon assistance they would require. They ne'er contacted me."

The British Museum has been contacted for comment.

According to the PA quality agency, the missing items are believed to person been taken implicit a "significant" play of time. Some of them reportedly ended up connected eBay, being sold for considerably little than their existent estimated value.

eBay said it "does not tolerate the merchantability of stolen property".

None of the treasures, which dated from the 15th Century BC to the 19th Century AD, had precocious been connected show and had been kept chiefly for world and probe purposes, the depository said. The bulk of them were kept successful a storeroom.

Dr Gradel's emails suggest helium became suspicious erstwhile helium "stumbled" upon a photograph of a Roman cameo fragment that helium said had been up for merchantability and had been listed connected the British Museum website but had since been removed.

Dr Gradel besides alleges successful 1 of his emails that a third-party seller returned a gem to the depository arsenic soon arsenic Dr Gradel told him his suspicions, but claims the depository didn't travel this up sufficiently.

In 1 of respective emails helium sent to travel up immoderate progress, this clip to a committee trustee, Dr Gradel accuses Mr Fischer and lawman manager Jonathan Williams of "sweeping it each nether the carpet."

In 1 effect emailed successful October 2022 to a trustee who was pursuing up connected Dr Gradel's concerns, Fischer said determination was "no evidence" of immoderate wrongdoing, adding that the "three items" Dr Gradel had mentioned were "in the collection".

It's present believed that much than 1,500 objects were stolen, damaged and destroyed, successful a situation that is threatening the estimation of the British Museum.

Despoina Koutsoumba, manager of the Association of Greek Archaeologists, said the depository could nary longer assertion Greek practice was protected - Greece has agelong campaigned for the instrumentality of the Parthenon sculptures, besides known arsenic the Elgin Marbles, which are held astatine the museum.

MP Tim Loughton, seat of the British Museum All-Party Parliamentary Group, called the remarks "blatant opportunism".