A judge on Tuesday ordered the disclosure of eBay and PayPal records that could include evidence that a former British Museum employee sold artifacts allegedly stolen from its collection.
The museum revealed last year that some 1,800 artifacts are missing and dismissed a staff member in what it called “an inside job.”
Police were notified but no arrests were made, while some 350 items have been recovered.
London High Court Judge Heather Williams said there was “cogent evidence” that the museum’s allegations could be correct.
Daniel Burgess, the museum’s lawyer, said the former employee had stolen gems, jewelry, gold, silver, and “intentionally” damaged artifacts by removing gold and silver from them.
He said it is believed hundreds of the items were listed on the online auction site eBay using PayPal.
The lawyer stated the suspect had access to the items and tried to cover their tracks with fake names and falsified documents while manipulating the museum’s records to sell the artifacts “at an undervalue.”
He said it was believed the staff member planned to dispute the allegations against them.
Museum director Hartwig Fischer resigned in August 2023 after admitting the institution did not act “as it should have” over warnings artifacts had gone missing.
The museum said it has revised its policy to prevent future losses and updated its whistleblowing code and policy on theft, as well as increasing security.
