Deal in museum artefacts dispute
Updated on 26 September 2007
Italian officials plan to drop a civil lawsuit in the trial of a former museum curator after the American institution agreed to return 40 contested artefacts.
State lawyers will withdraw the civil lawsuit against Marion True when the two-year-old trial resumes on Wednesday following a summer break. But officials said dropping the civil charges will not stop criminal proceedings against True, who is accused of knowingly acquiring ancient treasures that Italy maintains were stolen or dug up illegally and smuggled out of the country.
True denies wrongdoing, and senior government lawyer Maurizio Fiorilli said the agreement with the J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles could work in her favour.
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