Thieves of Croesus riches jailed
A museum director in Turkey has been sentenced to nearly 13 years in jail for stealing precious artefacts from a collection in his care.
A court convicted Kazim Akbiyiklioglu and nine other members of staff for the theft of a coin and a golden brooch in the shape of a winged horse.
The items in the museum in Usak were part of the treasures of King Croesus, dating back to the 6th-7th Century BC.
The theft was exposed by an anonymous letter to local officials in 2006.
The informer claimed that the gold coin and a golden brooch shaped like a winged horse had been stolen from the local museum and replaced with worthless fakes.
After a long investigation, Turkey's culture ministry concluded the theft was an inside job.
On Friday, a court in Usak, western Turkey, found the 10 people guilty of stealing the precious artefacts.
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A court convicted Kazim Akbiyiklioglu and nine other members of staff for the theft of a coin and a golden brooch in the shape of a winged horse.
The items in the museum in Usak were part of the treasures of King Croesus, dating back to the 6th-7th Century BC.
The theft was exposed by an anonymous letter to local officials in 2006.
The informer claimed that the gold coin and a golden brooch shaped like a winged horse had been stolen from the local museum and replaced with worthless fakes.
After a long investigation, Turkey's culture ministry concluded the theft was an inside job.
On Friday, a court in Usak, western Turkey, found the 10 people guilty of stealing the precious artefacts.