World-famous Egyptologist Zahi Hawass under investigation

[DJKeefy]

World-famous Egyptologist Zahi Hawass under investigation for graft.

World-renowned Egyptologist and former antiquities minister Zahi Hawass is under investigation by Egypt's authorities on charges of illicit gains, Al-Ahram's Arabic news website reported on Wednesday.

The superstar archaeologist and former secretary-general of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) has been accused by officials at the council of illegally acquiring a fortune of some $14 million kept in US banks.

This is not the first time such accusations have been levelled at Hawass, but past investigations cleared him of such charges.

Hawass has gained prominence in international media throughout his career, appearing in several documentaries and television series, including Chasing Mummies: The Amazing Adventures of Zahi Hawass, which was aired on the History Chanel in 2010.

In April 2011, Hawass, who had recently been re-appointed as antiquities chief in the newly-formed cabinet of then prime minister Essam Sharaf, was sentenced to serve one year in jail for refusing to fulfil a court ruling over a land dispute. He was also relieved of his governmental duties and ordered to pay a LE1,000 fine.

Hawass had initially resigned from his ministerial post when he was criticised for his close ties to ousted president Hosni Mubarak.

The SCA appealed the court ruling, arguing that the land in question included monuments and should therefore be treated as government-owned land.

Awarded a doctorate in Egyptology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1987, Hawass is the author and co-author of several books, his latest being Ancient African Kingdoms on the Nile: Nubia, released in 2012.

He was profiled as one the world's 100 most influential people by Time magazine in 2006.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/99669.aspx

[newcastle]

Another frustratingly oblique article from Al Ahram. Is there anything new here? The 'teflon coated' Hawass has been dealing (quite successfully) with allegations of almost every misdemeanor for the last 3 years.

[Glyphdoctor]

Yes, there is something new here. $14 million in accounts in the US is a fresh development.

[Dusak]

Yes, there is something new here. $14 million in accounts in the US is a fresh development.

That they know about. That sort of cash would go a long way in helping the illiterate of this country, they would then gain a better understanding of a truly professional clefty that can rape and pillage a country with impunity, figuratively speaking.

[newcastle]

Yes, there is something new here. $14 million in accounts in the US is a fresh development.

So having a lot of money is an offence these day ? Easy to make such accusations (and where would the antiquities authorities get such financial information anyway?). Throwing mud to see if any sticks if you ask me.

[Glyphdoctor]

No, having any amount of money you got as bribes while you served as a government official is a crime.

While this report of a bank account in the US is new news to me and I cannot confirm whether it is true or not, I have very good reason to believe there is a grain of truth to what is written here. This looks a lot more like to me that they have finally got around to doing a proper investigation.

And yes, I doubt very much too that they got the information from antiquities employees but that doesn't mean they didn't get it by some other, most likely, reliable or even definitive means and just want to cover up whatever their investigative methods or sources are. And remember account numbers and amounts can always be confirmed with US authorities. We're not talking Swiss bank accounts here. The two countries have a treaty that covers the sharing of information in criminal investigations and if the Egyptians asked for it, the US authorities would be obligated to provide the information.

On the other hand, Zahi is not the brightest bulb and in order to have money deposited in an account you have to share its number with others. He had antiquities employees that worked with him closely and some of them may indeed have had the account number and have been compelled to talk now.

[newcastle]

From what I've seen of this saga, I suspect Hawass made huge sums not so much from bribes but from what one might term "abuse of position"....although the terms can overlap. Whilst a bribe, if proved, could land him in prison (and he seems to have ducked out of such claims before) I'm not sure what the legal position is for taking advantage of your power, prestige, connections etc.

Maybe his fashion line was a roaring success

If he does end up behind bars he can always emulate Jeffrey Archer and make even more money by writing about his prison experiences

[Glyphdoctor]

From what you have seen of this saga...well, then I'll just say this, if all you have seen is the media coverage then you are justified to be confused by it. But there is more to it than that, much more.

His fashion line wound up in a corner of the bargain basement at Harrods. Not that it was particularly a bargain. A pre-ripped and stained t-shirt was selling for about 60 UK pounds if I recall correctly.

[newcastle]

From what you have seen of this saga...well, then I'll just say this, if all you have seen is the media coverage then you are justified to be confused by it. But there is more to it than that, much more.

His fashion line wound up in a corner of the bargain basement at Harrods. Not that it was particularly a bargain. A pre-ripped and stained t-shirt was selling for about 60 UK pounds if I recall correctly.

I can only form my opinions from the media coverage. If you have "the inside track" do share!!

BTW Glyph, do you purposefully ignore my emoticons? I confess that some of my comments border on the facetious ....but I try to make that apparent. I feel I fail with you

[Glyphdoctor]

No, I caught your being facetious. Don't worry. I just was adding some info about the clothes.

Otherwise, this is not the time or place to say anything more.

[Who2]

He's just a cheap tout, printing his own tickets to the monuments, it will all come to the surface sooner or later, even teflon frying pans wear out sooner or later. For me, it's just a personnel vendetta...

[Bullet Magnet]

I doubt he will go down quietly.. Expect to see that bu99er slip the net again, mark my words.. he has enough "leverage"..

[newcastle]

I doubt he will go down quietly.. Expect to see that bu99er slip the net again, mark my words.. he has enough "leverage"..

The heading of this thread should read "World-famous escapologist...."

[Bullet Magnet]

And Lucky...

If he fell into a vat of sh1t, he would come out wearing a rubber suit and smelling of roses...

15 Million in US bank accounts,!! being head of the SCA must have been a well paid gig...

[Frater0082]

I wonder if they paid him to tell lies on the documentary because the guy swear he knew what he was talking about and seemed to discredit other peoples works.

[Bullet Magnet]

There is the official Egyptology ( to keep you dumb and guessing )
Then there's the Egyptology that makes sense only after you have forgotten what it was you thought you knew about Ancient Egypt.

Mostly, it went tits up after the Exodus. They may have forgotten to mention something they took out of Egypt with them in the Bible...

God's Power.. Not what you may think.

[Frater0082]

Again the dating is all wrond but as much as I hate to admit it but Seti may have been the pharoah in the beginning of exodus

[Frater0082]

Again the dating is all wrond but as much as I hate to admit it but Seti may have been the pharoah in the beginning of exodus. The Shasu of Yahweh (the Hebrews) were a wandering group of people and were snatched up when Seti invaded the area perhaps before his reign.

[newcastle]

Again the dating is all wrond but as much as I hate to admit it but Seti may have been the pharoah in the beginning of exodus. The Shasu of Yahweh (the Hebrews) were a wandering group of people and were snatched up when Seti invaded the area perhaps before his reign.

Chasing straws (again) Frater? No-one's managed to find one iota of archaeological evidence that there WAS an exodus. It's a story in a book. Seti I (& Seti II) were real though.

[Bullet Magnet]

I have no doubt about an Exodus of sorts.. Hence Egypt's massive decline, but not an instantaneous one, the decline would take a little time to happen..

One has to ask what was happening during the 40 years of "Wandering" the desert, ? Surely if Moses and his crew knew exactly where they were going, then that journey should have taken 6 months maximum.

It all becomes much clearer once the Jews have settled in Israel, ( Book of Samuel) and then start engaging in battles, and use the Arc to unleash "God's Wrath" upon Israel's enemies..

King David forgave a would be assassin, because the Bible Says he was a "Carrier" of the Arc..
If you apply a bit of logic to this situation, then you would of course use the word "Operator" instead of "Carrier",
and I reckon there were not too many of these "Operator's " around, so David had little choice in the matter of forgiveness...

in Later years, What was the place name where the Arc was housed ?

Remove the 2 "h" 's from that name and things may become a little clearer...