CAIRO, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian authorities have launched a high-level investigation into the mysterious disappearance of an ancient limestone slab from the tomb of Khentika in the Saqqara archaeological area near Cairo.
In a statement released on Sunday, Secretary-General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities Mohamed Ismail Khaled confirmed that the entire matter has been referred to the Public Prosecution for immediate investigation and that all necessary legal procedures are being pursued.
The incident is particularly puzzling as the Khentika tomb, discovered in the 1950s and used as a storage facility for antiquities, had been completely sealed and had not been opened since 2019.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is now closely monitoring the investigation in coordination with other relevant authorities, the statement said.
In September, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced that a royal bracelet belonging to King Amenemope, a pharaoh of Ancient Egypt's 21st Dynasty who ruled from 993 to 984 BC, disappeared from a conservation laboratory at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. After investigations, the Egyptian authorities confirmed that the bracelet was stolen by a restoration specialist.
The gold bracelet changed hands three times before finally being melted down, Egypt's Interior Ministry confirmed last month.
