Thursday, February 24, 2011

Hawass Asks for Egyptian Prosecutor to Exhonerate Him; More Investigations Needed to Ensure Taxpayer Money Not Lost to Corrupt Practices

Zahi Hawass has asked an Egyptian prosecutor to investigate allegations that he smuggled antiquities on behalf of the Mubarak family. See
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/7/6138/Egypt/Crime/Accusation-against-minister-of-antiquities-referre.aspx He professes to be confident that he will be exhonerated.

Hawass has apparently not asked for an investigation into whether public money was skimmed from his Ministry.

I think this charge needs to be investigated too. And not just in Egypt, but by federal prosecutors in the United States. The US Government has given millions in aid to Egypt to support Egypt's archaeological establishment; US Museums, the Discovery Channel, and National Geographic have given millions more for travelling shows and TV programs.

Egyptian and US taxpayers need some assurance that all this money was not misused in any fashion.

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