Trafficking in antiquities: the Louvre Abu Dhabi becomes a civil party

The Louvre Abu Dhabi has decided to become a civil party in the investigation into the trafficking of looted antiquities in the Near and Middle East in which a former president of the Louvre, Jean-Luc Martinez, was indicted, a learned AFP Monday, May 30 from the lawyer of the Emirati museum.

“Given the scandal that we are talking about today and of which the Louvre Abu Dhabi is the first victim, it is inconceivable that we do not constitute a civil party”, indicated to AFP Me Jean-Jacques Neuer, on behalf of the cultural institution of the largest emirate in the United Arab Emirates. “The Louvre Abu Dhabi is the victim of trafficking in Egyptian antiquities even though it is a flagship cultural institution known throughout the world. As she has impeccable ethics on these subjects, she wants to know exactly what happened and shed light on this file, ”he added.

Born of an intergovernmental agreement signed in 2007 between the United Arab Emirates and France and linked in particular to the Louvre Museum by a cooperation agreement, the Louvre Abu Dhabi depends on the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Emirate of Abu Dubai. It was inaugurated with great fanfare in November 2017 by French President Emmanuel Macron. The former president and director of the Louvre Jean-Luc Martinez was indicted on Wednesday for "complicity in fraud in an organized gang and laundering by false facilitation of the origin of property from a crime or misdemeanor" and placed under judicial supervision. He disputes the facts “with the greatest firmness”, according to his defense.

According to Le Canard enchaîné, which revealed its questioning, the investigators are trying to find out if Jean-Luc Martinez would have "closed his eyes" to false certificates of origin of five pieces of Egyptian antiquity acquired "for several tens of millions euros” by the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Among these pieces is a pink granite stele engraved with the name of King Tutankhamun. A preliminary investigation, entrusted to the Central Office for the Fight against Trafficking in Cultural Property, was discreetly opened in July 2018 by the National Court in charge of the fight against organized crime of the Paris prosecutor's office.

The investigations were entrusted to an investigating judge in February 2020. At least three other people - an expert in Mediterranean archeology, a merchant and a German-Lebanese gallery owner - are indicted in this case. This traffic would concern hundreds of pieces and would involve several tens of millions of euros, according to sources close at the time.