Sender: Rare book and manuscripts <EXLIBRIS-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
This appeared on iht. com. --ECW
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Greek court throws out case against former Getty Museum curator
The Associated Press
Published: November 27, 2007
ATHENS, Greece: A Greek court on Tuesday threw out criminal charges against
a former curator of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles accused of
illegally obtaining an ancient gold wreath.
A three-judge panel ruled that the statute of limitations for criminal
charges against Marion True, 59, had expired. She was not in court.
True had denied illegally obtaining the 4th century B.C. funerary wreath
that was allegedly unearthed at an illegal dig in northern Greece. It was
purchased by the Getty museum in 1993, while she was antiquities curator
there.
Under stringent Greek laws, it is illegal to possess, buy, sell or unearth
ancient artifacts without a permit.
The wreath was returned to Greece in March, and it was handed to the
Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum in northern Greece last Friday.
True still faces charges of illegally possessing at least a dozen
antiquities found during a police raid on her holiday home on the Aegean
island of Paros in April last year. No trial date has been set in that case.
She also faces charges in Italy, where she is accused of knowingly acquiring
dozens of ancient artifacts that authorities maintain were stolen or
unearthed illegally and smuggled out of Italy. She also denies those
charges.