Paris: Ex-leader of Louvre charged with money laundering
The former president of the Louvre museum has received preliminary charges for alleged antiquities trafficking during his tenure as head of the famous Paris museum
Paris: Ex-leader of Louvre charged with money laundering
Show all 2Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The former president of the Louvre museum has received preliminary charges for alleged antiquities trafficking during his tenure as head of the famous Paris museum.
Police in the French capital charged Jean-Luc Martinez on Wednesday with “complicity in organized fraud” and money laundering, according to the Paris prosecutors’ office.
The prosecutor’s office said that two of Martinez’ former colleagues in the Louvre's Egyptian antiquities department were also taken into custody this week but released without charges.
The Paris prosecutor's office would not confirm French media reports saying that the three men were suspected of taking part in the trafficking of priceless heritage pieces.
According to Le Canard Enchaine newspaper, investigators were looking into whether Martinez “turned a blind eye” to false certificates of provenance for five Egyptian antiquities.
The newspaper said the pieces including a granite Tutankhamun stele or slab sold in 2016 when the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, a branch of the Paris museum, acquired several Egyptian antiquities for tens of millions of euros (dollars).
Martinez stepped down last year as the Louvre’s president, a post he had held since 2013. He now serves as an ambassador for international cooperation in the field of heritage. The museum’s current president is Laurence de Cars.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.