Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said all necessary legal measures have been taken regarding reports circulated by a number of online news websites about the disappearance of an ancient limestone relief from the tomb of Khentika in the Saqqara archaeological area, and that the entire matter has been referred to the Public Prosecution for investigation.
He explained that the tomb had been completely closed and used as a storehouse for antiquities since its discovery in the 1950s, and had not been opened since 2019, adding that as soon as the incident became known, an archaeological committee headed by Dr. Amr El-Tayeby, supervisor of the Saqqara archaeological area, was formed to inventory the tomb's contents.
The Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities added that as soon as the archaeological committee's report arrived, the matter was referred to the Public Prosecution on the same day for investigation, noting that the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is closely following the course of the investigation in coordination with the relevant authorities, out of its keenness to safeguard and protect Egypt's archaeological heritage and preserve it from any violations or illegal practices.
