MP accuses Greece of ‘blatant opportunism’ following British Museum thefts
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he chairman of the British Museum All-Party Parliamentary Group has accused Greece of “blatant opportunism” in claiming the establishment is “not safe” following thefts from the museum.
The British Museum introduced final week that gadgets from its assortment had been discovered to be “missing, stolen or damaged” and police are investigating.
Legal motion is being taken by the museum towards an unnamed member of workers, who has been sacked.
Tim Loughton advised BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that news of things going lacking from the museum’s assortment in London is “damaging” however the establishment is taking the thefts “seriously”.
It makes one wonder if the Parthenon Marbles are secure within the British Museum in any case, and maybe they need to be returned to the museum in Athens for his or her safety
The MP, who has been in contact with the museum, added: “For reassurance, people want to know the extent of the objects which have disappeared, what investigations took place at the time when various reports came in and what is being done now because otherwise (it’s) getting out of hand.”
The museum has not specified what number of gadgets have been stolen or detailed what the lacking gadgets are, saying solely that they had been “small pieces” together with “gold jewellery and gems of semi-precious stones and glass dating from the 15th century BC to the 19th century AD”.
The Times has reported that the thefts occurred over not less than twenty years.
Mr Loughton stated: “What is particularly damaging is (the) blatant opportunism of the Greeks and others saying ‘Oh no, the British Museum is not safe…’ It’s incredibly rare that things go missing.”
Greece has been campaigning for many years for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures, which as soon as adorned the Parthenon atop the Acropolis in Athens.
The nation has lengthy claimed they had been illegally acquired throughout a interval of international occupation, whereas British officers have rebuffed repeated calls for for his or her return.
Christopher Marinello, a lawyer and professional in recovering stolen artwork, advised the PA news company that the theft exposes the museum to questions over the security of the traditional sculptures.
He stated: “It makes one wonder whether the Parthenon Marbles are safe in the British Museum after all, and perhaps they should be returned to the museum in Athens for their security.”
The head of the Association of Greek Archaeologists, Despina Koutsoumba, stated her colleagues are “worried” about what number of Greek gadgets are lacking.
She advised the BBC: “We want to tell the British Museum that they cannot anymore say that Greek culture heritage is more protected in the British Museum.
“It is obvious that it is very well protected in Greece and not in the British Museum.”
Mr Loughton was additionally requested about emails leaked to BBC News that declare the British Museum was alerted to the thefts in 2021 and ignored the report.
He stated: “With respect, all that’s come out is a few emails rather than the bigger picture.
“But the British Museum will need to account for that because if people are trying to report potential objects having appeared outside of the museum then absolutely those need to be investigated and potentially referred to the police.
“So what action was taken? What checks and balances are there at the museum?
“Also putting into context… the British Museum has the most online documentation online in the world. There are over two million objects available online to see.”
The Daily Telegraph has reported that the variety of stolen gadgets is believed to be “well over 1,000″ and “closer to 2,000”, with a price working into “millions of pounds”.
An unbiased evaluation of safety has been launched and the matter can be below investigation by the financial crime command of the Metropolitan Police.
No arrests have been made.
The evaluation might be led by former museum trustee Sir Nigel Boardman and Lucy D’Orsi, Chief Constable of British Transport Police.