A French investigation detects the Qatari ruling family in the act of stealing a rare Yemeni antique statue
English - Monday 22 February 2021 الساعة 03:24 pm
Aden, NewsYemen:
A French investigation uncovered "the looting of a bronze caribou classified among the rare artifacts in Yemen, which fell into the hands of a group owned by Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, a member of the ruling family in Qatar."
The authors of the investigation published by "France TV Info" asked: "How can an ancient statue whose original source has been identified, a Yemeni temple, end up in the hands of looters and move from the Fontainebleau Museum to the National Museum in Tokyo, without drawing anyone's attention. ? ".
The investigation stated: "The statue was displayed in the Fontainebleau Museum in 2018 and a year later it was displayed in the Tokyo National Museum, as part of the collection of Sheikh Hamad Al Thani, cousin of the Emir of Qatar."
The researcher Jeremy Shetkati said that the fall of the Prussian ibex in the hands of the group owned by Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani "was following a looting operation against a Yemeni temple as a result of the chaotic situation in Yemen."
Shetkati added that the temple from which the statue was looted "is located in a valley that archaeological missions cannot enter without risking the possibility of kidnappings."
The investigation added, "The only archaeologist who was able to visit the site is a Yemeni (his name has not been revealed). He took pictures that reveal the remains of secret excavations ... These pictures reveal the hole that the thieves dug to reach the temple, and even the buckets they used to clear the land after the looting."
Jeremy Shetkati confirmed that he informed the officials of the "Fontainebleau" museum, via e-mail, about the caribou, calling for scrutiny and searching for its source, but he did not find a response.
"As if nothing had happened ... the artifact continues to be displayed elsewhere without bothering anyone," said Shetkati.
When asked about the matter, the Curator of the Fontainebleau Museum said that he verified the source of the statue, based on documents provided by the curator of the Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani collection.
According to the investigation, Amin Jaafar, Director of Public Relations and Secretary of the Hamad Bin Jassim Al Thani Group, refused to answer journalists ’questions about the ibex, and said that he was willing to" discuss the issue but not in front of the camera. "
