British Museum chief left 'frustrated' following thefts after dealer failed to disclose he had more missing artefacts
23 August 2023, 15:53
The director of the British Museum has today spoken out following the theft of 'more than 1500' prized artefacts, adding he remains 'frustrated' that a dealer failed to disclose the true number of missing items.
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The world renowned institution has faced increased scrutiny in recent weeks following the discovery that thousands of priceless artefacts - including gold, jewellery and semi-precious gemstones - were missing from its vaults.
The events saw one member of staff sacked following the discovery, with the historic museum flagging the case to the Metropolitan Police for investigation.
Speaking out for the first time since news of the thefts broke, the British Museum's "frustrated" director, Hartwig Fischer, has said the dealer who initially reported the artefacts also had many more of the museum's items in his possession.
The twist comes as no arrests have yet been made in relation to the case, with the Economic Crime Command of the Metropolitan Police continuing to conduct their investigation.
The museum has also started an independent review of security.
Emails linked to the incident claim the museum was initially alerted to the thefts by an antiquities dealer in 2021, however, the report was ignored.
In a statement to PA, Mr Fischer said: “When allegations were brought to us in 2021 we took them incredibly seriously, and immediately set up an investigation.
"Concerns were only raised about a small number of items, and our investigation concluded that those items were all accounted for.”
“We now have reason to believe that the individual who raised concerns had many more items in his possession, and it’s frustrating that that was not revealed to us as it would have aided our investigations.
"In 2022 we embarked on a full audit – which revealed a bigger problem. I reported my concerns to the trustees, and together we agreed to call in the police.
Read more: British Museum missing nearly 2,000 artefacts worth millions of pounds in ‘horrifying’ revelation
"We also then began the disciplinary process that resulted in a member of staff being dismissed.
“I am clear that at every step my priority has been the care of the incredible British Museum collection, and that continues today – with our commitment to learning lessons from the independent review, our determination to help the police with their criminal investigation, and our focus on the recovery programme.”
Mr Fischer announced last month that he's due to step down from the position of director in 2024.
It follows claims by a Greek archaeologist that the British Museum is not a safe place to hold precious artefacts after the series of thefts.
Claims by Archaeologist Despoina Koutsoumba, which suggest Greek heritage was no longer being protected by the institution, were dismissed as "blatant opportunism" by MP Tim Loughton, chair of its cross-party group.
He added it was "incredibly rare" for items to go missing.
