An Egyptian criminal court sentenced on Thursday a former parliamentarian and several accomplices to up to 10 years in prison for their involvement in a high-profile antiquities-smuggling operation thwarted by security officials last year.
The trial of Alaa Hassanein, a former member of President Hosni Mubarak’s now-dissolved National Democratic Party, and the other members of his illegal antiquities ring, was broadcast via livestream by a number of Egyptian media outlets on Thursday.
Hassanein, along with five others, was sentenced to 10 years in a maximum-security prison for conducting illegal digs predominantly in Islamic Cairo, a historic district in the heart of the Egyptian capital.
Meanwhile, billionaire Hassan Rateb, the main financier behind Hassanein’s operation, was slapped with a five-year sentence for his smaller role in the ring’s operations.
Hassanein, widely considered the mastermind behind the operation, was arrested in June last year along with a large number of his accomplices, including Rateb.
Prosecution investigations at the time found a large number of incriminating videos and audio recordings on the detainees’ phones, including footage of illegal digs and photos of the retrieved artefacts, which numbered in the hundreds. Among the evidence were also extensive WhatsApp conversations between the members.
The stolen artefacts, a large number of which were found in a warehouse by security officials last year, dated back to various eras of Egypt’s history, according to an inventory list released by the country’s prosecutor-general in December.
The list includes tablets with hieroglyphic engravings, prehistoric rocks, surgical needles from the Islamic era, and antique vases and statues.
Artefact smuggling is illegal in Egypt and in recent years, the state has stepped up its efforts to crack down on the practice, which continues to be undertaken all over the country, mostly on private lands.
Aside from the main smuggling charges, the defendants were also charged with damaging state property after they dismantled some of the pieces they found to transport them more easily outside Egypt.
A prosecution statement on Thursday said that the operation was discovered after Rateb sued Hassanein in several Egyptian courts on the grounds that he had not received large amounts of money owed to him by the former parliamentarian. Upon further investigations, security officials determined that this money was given to Hassanein to continue his illegal digs.
Rateb, who is a household name in Egypt, especially among the country’s entrepreneurial elite, founded one of the most popular private television stations in the country, El Mehwar.
Egypt has in recent years stepped up efforts to track down stolen artefacts around the world, monitoring auctions in major western cities and pressing authorities there to hand them back.
Jawan
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if you go
The flights
Flydubai flies to Podgorica or nearby Tivat via Sarajevo from Dh2,155 return including taxes. Turkish Airlines flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Podgorica via Istanbul; alternatively, fly with Flydubai from Dubai to Belgrade and take a short flight with Montenegro Air to Podgorica. Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Podgorica via Belgrade. Flights cost from about Dh3,000 return including taxes. There are buses from Podgorica to Plav.
The tour
While you can apply for a permit for the route yourself, it’s best to travel with an agency that will arrange it for you. These include Zbulo in Albania (www.zbulo.org) or Zalaz in Montenegro (www.zalaz.me).
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
Lost to Oman by 12 runs
Beat Namibia by 43 runs
UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv
Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
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