Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on Tuesday asked the Minister of Culture, Natalia Intotero, for „tough measures, including staff dismissals, if necessary,” at the institutions responsible for organising the exhibition in the Netherlands from which ancient Romanian artifacts were stolen.
At the beginning of a government meeting, Ciolacu said that he is waiting for a report from the Prime Minister’s Control Body on the approvals given last year to the Ministry of Culture to take out the Dacian treasure from the country.
„I will forward them to the prosecutors so that the culprits can be held accountable,” he said, adding that „such valuable items cannot be taken out of the country whenever a museum or a minister wants.”
Ciolacu asked for immediate measures: „I’m asking the minister of culture to take tough measures today, including staff dismissals, if necessary, at the institutions responsible for this contract. I believe that public opinion is entitled to expect something like this in such a case.”
He said he is waiting for a set of measures for the future to protect the assets of the national heritage.
„I hope that these national treasures will be recovered, so we must do everything in our power to increase the chances of finding them. Depending on the cooperation with the Dutch authorities, I do not exclude either resorting to international companies specialising in recovering stolen art objects or announcing a reward commensurate with the huge value that these objects have for the Romanian people and our national identity.”
The Golden Helmet of Cotofenesti, dated from the second half of the 5th century BCE, and three Dacian gold bracelets from Sarmizegetusa Regia, from the second part of the first century BCE, some of the most important artifacts in Romania’s national heritage, were stolen from the Dutch Drents Museum. The break-in was carried out using an explosive on the only outer wall of the building.
The Attorney General’s Office informed on Saturday that a criminal case was opened related to the theft of the artefacts from the Dacian treasure exhibited at the museum in the Netherlands.
AGERPRES
