CAIRO - 30 June 2021: Egyptian businessman Hassan Rateb was ordered detained on Tuesday for four days pending investigations into funding illegal excavation for antiquities. Rateb was arrested Monday over accusations of funding a former parliamentarian in efforts of illegal excavations for antiquities. The prosecution’s investigations uncovered operations of funding worth millions of Egyptian pounds secured by Rateb for the Hassanins, his son and his gang members to dig for antiquities. Hassanin’s confessions confirmed that Rateb paid millions of Egyptian pounds in search for antiquities. The prosecution said it also detained 17 members of the gang he led for four days after they were caught red-handed while possessing 201 artifacts.

Source: Egypt Today June 30, 2021 07:52 UTC