The former boss of the Louvre, Jean-Luc Martinez, indicted in an investigation into antiquities trafficking, has been suspended from part of his duties as ambassador for international cooperation in the field of heritage, announced Friday, June 3 the Ministry of Culture.
“Pending clarification of his legal situation, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture have decided to withdraw, as a precautionary measure” by Jean-Luc Martinez “the component relating to the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural property”, is it specified in a press release. Jean-Luc Martinez was indicted at the end of May in Paris for “money laundering and complicity in organized fraud”.
→ REREAD. Antiquities trafficking: the former director of the Louvre Jean-Luc Martinez indicted
Jean-Luc Martinez, at the head of the largest museum in the world from 2013 to 2021, was indicted at the end of May in Paris for “money laundering and complicity in organized fraud”facts that he disputes “with the greatest firmness”according to his defense.
Evaluation mission of cultural property acquisition procedures
Since February 2020, an investigating judge has been in charge of investigations in this investigation into suspicions of trafficking in antiquities from the Near and Middle East. The Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Louvre Museum announced on Monday that they are taking civil action in this case, the first saying “victim of trafficking in Egyptian antiquities”.
As part of this investigation, five Egyptian pieces, in the possession of the Metropolitan Museum in New York but potentially the result of looting, were recently seized by the New York courts.
The French Ministry of Culture also announced on Friday the establishment of a mission to assess the procedures for the acquisition of cultural property, the conclusions of which are expected in the summer of 2022.