The Cairo Criminal Court on Monday turned down an appeal from businessman Hassan Ratib against detaining him, pending further investigations into accusations of financing former MP Alaa Hassanein to illegally excavate for antiquities. The court upheld an earlier decision by appellate judge in the South Cairo Court to renew the detention of Ratib pending investigations for more 45 days. Preliminary investigations revealed Ratib’s involvement in illegal archaeological excavations with Hassanein, his brother, and others. This was confirmed by the confessions of Hassanein’s brother that Ratib had paid millions of pounds to search for antiquities. Hassanein and Ratib are accused of bringing nineteen people together to traffic in looted antiquities embezzled by funded excavations and excavations in separate areas throughout Egypt, to sell them inside the country and abroad.
