Arr, the scurvy dog British Museum director be walkin' the plank fer not carin' 'bout thievin' art claims!
2023-08-25
Hark ye, me hearties! The scallywag Hartwig Fischer, afore the mast o' the British Museum, be walkin' the plank! They be searchin' high 'n low fer treasures worth hundreds, lost sinceth the year 2021. Avast, what a tale!
The British Museum has announced that its director, Hartwig Fischer, will be resigning following the discovery of hundreds of missing artifacts, including gold jewelry and antiquities dating back to the 15th century B.C. The museum had been alerted to the possible theft or disappearance of these valuable items over two years ago when an art historian noticed suspicious objects for sale on eBay. However, Fischer admitted that the museum did not respond adequately to the warnings and took the whistleblower's concerns lightly.The missing items were mostly small objects stored in a storeroom and had not been on display recently. The museum has terminated a staff member's employment and plans to take legal action against them. The London Metropolitan Police are currently investigating the situation, and the museum has ordered an independent review of its security measures. The missing artifacts have prompted calls for the return of other historically significant items held by the museum, such as the marble carvings from the Parthenon in Greece and the Benin bronzes from West Africa.
The whistleblower, Ittai Gradel, traced some of the suspicious objects he found on eBay back to the British Museum. Gradel bought one object that was not listed in the museum's catalog but was able to determine that it had been owned by a collector who had donated their collection to the museum in 1814. Gradel revealed that the seller was the same person who has since been dismissed by the museum. He criticized Fischer for not taking immediate action and demanded the resignation of Deputy Director Jonathan Williams as well.
Fischer has apologized to Gradel and acknowledged that the museum mishandled the situation. He announced his resignation and stated that he would step down as soon as a temporary leader could be appointed. The museum trustees accepted his resignation and expressed their commitment to rectifying the mistakes that were made. They aim to restore confidence in the museum's operations and regain admiration from visitors.