Theft on the British Museum prompts the resignation of director Hartwig Fischer –

Theft on the British Museum prompts the resignation of director Hartwig Fischer – [ad_1]

The most important identified theft of the British Museum reveals new particulars which have revealed the ineptitude of the administrators to deal with the warnings to cease them, inflicting the resignation, final Friday, of its director, the German Hartwig Fischer.

The top of the British Museum’s administrative board, George Osborne, advised British media yesterday that a number of the 2,000 stolen artifacts had been recovered, however acknowledged that the 264-year-old establishment doesn't have a whole archive of its huge assortment of antiquities; he additionally accepted that the museum’s popularity has suffered from its mishandling of the scenario.

Fischer, who led the museum for seven years, introduced he would resign on July 28, 2024, permitting the brand new director to be elected subsequent fall and denying rumors linking his resolution to the theft scandal earlier than it grew to become public.

Nevertheless, accepting the severity dealing with the museum, he introduced in an announcement his instant resignation after cautious assessment of the occasions surrounding the theft. Osborne accepted Fischer’s resignation as museum director and appreciated his integrity in acknowledging errors in his dealing with of occasions.

“It's clear,” Fischer stated, “that the British Museum didn't totally reply because it ought to to the 2021 warnings, nor to the difficulty that has now totally emerged. The duty for that failure should finally relaxation with the director.”

Peter Higgs, sospechoso

The museum has not but revealed the official record of the stolen objects, which encompass small gold jewellery and valuable gems. Nevertheless, the newspapers The Telegraph y The Occasions – which have been the principle newspapers in reporting and denouncing it – calculate that there are greater than 1,500 stolen, misplaced or destroyed items, overlaying 3,500 years of historical past for a price of tens of hundreds of thousands of kilos sterling. Of such objects solely three have been recognized.

Each sources level to Peter Higgs, 58, chief curator of Mediterranean Cultures on the museum, a specialist who has labored there for 3 many years and thought of an authority within the self-discipline as the principle suspect. Higgs, who denies his guilt, was fired by the museum in early July.

In 2020, specialist Martin Henig recognized a Roman gemstone from the British Museum assortment on the market on the eBay web site for as little as £40, when its worth has been estimated at between £25,000 to £50,000.

After the merchandise was returned to the museum, Henig and vintage seller Ittai Gradel discovered proof of different objects from the identical museum.

Gradel reported it to the campus in 2020 by an middleman, and in February 2021 to Deputy Director Jonathan Williams, to whom he despatched a file proving it. Williams responded months later that his warnings have been completely unfounded.

Gradel, in an unique interview with The Telegraph this Wednesday, declared that Fischer and Williams must be fired to forestall additional harm to the establishment.

Fischer apologized to Gradel for the inappropriate feedback he made earlier within the week and expressed remorse.

The Occasions, for his half, he additionally revealed on Wednesday that the thief has looted the British Museum for 20 years. Till now, Higgs has allegedly bought the unlisted objects on-line, however was recognized when he started buying and selling these from the digital stock by his Paypal, making a pseudonym barely completely different from his title, however related to his Twitter along with his actual title.

Fischer defined that in 2022, after a full audit, it was understood how that particular person had many extra objects in his possession, and referred to as, in settlement with the managers, to go to the police.

Scotland Yard is investigating the case, has taken authorized motion in opposition to the suspect and is working to get well the lacking objects. The matter was additionally taken up by the Financial Crimes Command of the Metropolitan Police.

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