An investigation is underway against an antique dealer in East Flanders who bought a bronze head looted in Nigeria from Belgian authorities in 2007 and tried to resell it in 2017, according to information from VRT confirmed by the East Flanders prosecutor’s office, which states that the suspect was heard.

Last week, the VRT, L’Echo and De Tijd published a report on Belgium’s failings in terms of controls, the country having become a fertile ground for trafficking in stolen and counterfeit antiquities. The main example was a bronze African head several hundred years old stolen from the National Museum of Nigeria in 1987. The statue reappeared years later in Belgium, where it was confiscated.

“The sculpture has used dust for years and was publicly sold in 2007 by the Federal Public Service Finance. The buyer, an antique dealer from East Flanders, only paid 240 euros for it. A godsend, for a statue that is actually worth millions of euros“, according to VRT.

The new owner tried to sell the statue in 2017 at a London auction house, but it was confiscated by London police. “The public prosecutor’s office in Ghent, East Flanders division, was then informed by Interpol of the seizure. A file was opened and the man who wanted to sell the statue was questioned. The investigation is still ongoing“said the attorney general.

The statue is still in London and Nigeria is demanding its return, but the antique dealer is asking for compensation of 60,000 euros.