The ‘Pandora Papers' have linked the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British Museum to allegedly looted Cambodian antiques.

[ASEAN NOW]

 

According to The Washington Post, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is one of numerous major museums that have displayed looted Cambodian antiques.

The Post and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) went on a "treasure hunt" for treasures allegedly plundered from Cambodia by late art dealer Douglas Latchford, according to the Post. The hunt began after The Washington Post and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) looked into 11.9 million documents known as the Pandora Papers.

 

The Justice Department charged Latchford in 2019 on charges of trafficking in looted Cambodian artifacts. Until his death in 2020, he vehemently rejected these allegations.

 

Latchford and his family established tax haven trusts immediately after investigators began linked him to the looted items, according to the Post. According to the article, Latchford transacted with the looted Cambodian antiques through an offshore trust.

 

According to the Post, “dozens” of plundered objects linked to the arrested trader remain in prestigious institutions, including the British Museum.

 

The institutions told the Post that they took efforts to prevent stolen goods, but that provenance criteria had altered over time. They didn't respond to Insider's calls for comment right away.

 

Some institutions have taken steps to return stolen Cambodian artifacts once the allegations against Latchford were made public. In 2013, the Metropolitan Museum of Art returned two looted tenth-century stone statues from Koh Ker, Cambodia. Following her father's death, Latchford's daughter, Nawapan Kriangsak, led an attempt to return $50 million in artifacts to Cambodia.

 

More information regarding the Post's investigation into how offshore entities are used to hide misconduct in the global art trade is anticipated to be released soon.