Egypt.. Referral of a businessman and a former parliamentarian to trial in the "Great Antiquities" case
Today, Sunday, the Public Prosecutor in Egypt, Counselor Hamada El-Sawy, ordered the referral of the accused, the Egyptian businessman, Hassan Rateb, and former parliamentarian Alaa Hassanein - two imprisoned - and 21 others - all of them imprisoned except for two fugitives - to the competent criminal court, in the case known in the media as "" Major Antiquities", to accuse Alaa Hassanein, known as "the deputy of the jinn and orcs", of forming and running a gang for the purpose of smuggling antiquities out of the country, destroying movable antiquities by deliberately separating part of them, trading in antiquities and partnering with an unknown person by agreement in forging antiquities with the intent of fraud.
Hassan Ratib was accused of participating with Hassanein in the gang he runs by financing it to implement its criminal plans, as well as his participation with him in committing the crime of excavating works in 4 sites with the intention of obtaining antiquities without a license and trading in them, while the rest of the defendants were accused of joining the aforementioned gang and some of them concealed traces with intent smuggling and carrying out excavations in the four mentioned sites with the aim of obtaining antiquities without a license, according to Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper.
The Public Prosecution had established evidence by the defendants from the testimony of 15 witnesses, including the investigators and those responsible for apprehending the accused, in implementation of the Public Prosecution’s permission.
What was proven to the Public Prosecution from inspecting the four excavation sites, examining and viewing the phones of some of the accused, and what they contained of video clips and pictures of artifacts and excavation sites and conversations that took place between them regarding them, and the conclusions of the committee formed by the Supreme Council of Antiquities in examining the seized artifacts and viewing the video clips and photos referred to The phones of the accused, and what was proven in the report of the committee formed from the ancient Egyptian antiquities area, from its inspection of the excavation sites and the examination of the seized tools and machines.
On June 30, the Public Prosecution decided to detain 19 suspects in pretrial detention for excavating, trafficking and smuggling antiquities outside Egypt, including Hassan Ratib and Alaa Hassanein. In looted artifacts that were embezzled by funded excavations and excavations in separate areas throughout the republic, in order to sell them inside the country and smuggle them abroad for the same purpose, the Public Prosecution began investigations.
The Public Prosecution issued a permit to arrest the accused. The accused, Alaa Hassanein, the leader of the gang, and another suspect accompanying him were arrested. Coins were found in his possession, suspected of antiquity. Statues, stones, coins and objects suspicious of antiquity were found in his car. The gang formation for the purpose of smuggling antiquities outside the country, and carrying out excavations to excavate, smuggle and trade in them - he denied the accusations, and denied his connection to the seizures and his connection to the rest of the accused except those arrested with him.
The Public Prosecution interrogated seventeen defendants, some of whom were arrested in excavation and excavation sites, in possession of suspected antiquities and tools used in excavation work. » On four excavation and excavation sites, and I moved to inspect them and found out the deep excavation works in them. The committee formed by the Supreme Council of Antiquities confirmed that these places are subject to the Antiquities Protection Law because they are archaeological sites, and that the excavation carried out in them was for the purpose of excavating antiquities, and that the seized pieces In the possession of the accused - 227 - all belong to Egyptian civilizations and date back to different eras (prehistoric, Pharaonic, Greek, Roman and Islamic), and are subject to the Antiquities Protection Law.
One of the accused had stated an inference after his arrest, with the participation of the accused, Hassan Ratib, in financing excavations and excavations, and police investigations confirmed that, and his connection to the leader of the formation. Pounds between him and the leader of the gang formation and disagreements around it.
The Public Prosecution ordered the detention of all the accused for four days pending investigations, and the competent court also issued a decision extending their detention for fifteen days. The Public Prosecution Counsel temporarily ordered the seizure of the funds of the two defendants, Alaa Hassanein and Hassan Rateb, and referred the matter to the competent court for consideration. Investigations are being completed.
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