Egypt Court Jails Ex- Italian Diplomat For Smuggling Artefacts
Faizan Hashmi Published January 22, 2020 | 01:11 PM
A Cairo criminal court sentenced a former honorary Italian consul to 15 years in jail in absentia on Tuesday for smuggling antiquities out of the country, a judicial source said
Cairo, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jan, 2020 ) :A Cairo criminal court sentenced a former honorary Italian consul to 15 years in jail in absentia on Tuesday for smuggling antiquities out of the country, a judicial source said.
Ladislav Otakar Skakal, Italy's former honorary consul in Luxor, attempted to smuggle 21,855 artefacts from various historical eras in 2017, according to the prosecutor general.
These included over 21,000 golden coins, 151 miniature figurines, five mummy masks, 11 pottery vessels, three ceramic tiles dating to the Islamic period and a wooden sarcophagus.
Italian police found the sizeable loot in a diplomatic shipping container heading from the port city of Alexandria to Salerno in Italy in 2017.
Skakal's trial, along with other accomplices, began in September last year.
Prosecutors found that the antiquities were smuggled with the aid of Raouf Ghali, the brother of former Hosni Mubarak-era finance minister Youssef Ghali.
A verdict is expected next month for Skakal's alleged Egyptian accomplices.
Egypt managed to retrieve the stolen antiquities in cooperation with Italian authorities in 2018.
It also requested that Interpol issue a red notice against the disgraced diplomat.
Last year, a stolen golden coffin of a Pharaonic priest was unveiled in Cairo after authorities managed to retrieve it from New York.
Antiquities smuggling had thrived in the tumult that followed the 2011 revolution that toppled Mubarak.
In recent years, Egypt has sought to promote its archaeological heritage in a bid to revive its vital tourism sector, which has taken a battering from political turmoil after the revolution.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
SC orders end of encroachments in Karachi
Nazish Jahangir denies viral screenshots, calls them fake
Govt likely to hike electricity price once again
Bismah Maroof announces immediate retirement from international cricket
Malala expresses unwavering support for Gaza people
Selection committee dissolved over Pakistan women cricket team's poor performanc ..
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz in police uniform at Chung police center
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 25 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 25 April 2024
Mired in crisis, Boeing reports another loss
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
More Stories From World
-
Death toll from Tanzania's flash floods rises to 155: PM
7 minutes ago -
Iron ore futures close higher
17 minutes ago -
Two runaway army horses in 'serious condition': UK minister
17 minutes ago -
Myanmar's health ministry issues heat advisory amid soaring temperature
27 minutes ago -
Russian oil production facility in Siberia catches fire
27 minutes ago -
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index closes 0.48 pct higher
27 minutes ago
-
Kremlin says Ukraine access to ATACMS will not impact outcome of conflict
37 minutes ago -
Scottish leader scraps coalition deal with Greens
37 minutes ago -
US announces sweeping cuts to power sector carbon emissions
2 hours ago -
US to give Micron $6.1 bn for American chip factories
2 hours ago -
Venice launches five-euro entry fee
2 hours ago -
New Godzilla x Kong film continues to lead Chinese box office
2 hours ago