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Williams replied on March 1,2021,saying that the matter would be investigated,but by the end of June that year Dr Gradel had heard nothing,so he sent a follow-up email to Dr Williams and sent a copy of his original email to Dr Fischer.
On July 12,2021,Williams wrote back,saying that an investigation had found “the objects concerned are all accounted for”,and that a review of security had concluded “procedures are robust and that the collection is protected”.
Later the same month,he confirmed that Gradel’s allegations were “wholly unfounded”.
In October last year Gradel wrote to Sir Paul Ruddock,one of the trustees of the museum,to tell him he had been “tormented” by his belief that the objects had been stolen and that the museum was “sweeping it all under the carpet”.
He said he had been “brushed off” by Williams who had “basically told me to get lost”.
Ruddock passed the email on to Osborne,who responded the next day by emailing Fischer,and demanding “a detailed response to assure me that the matter has been thoroughly investigated,with a timeline”.
Fischer responded by telling Ruddock:“The case has been thoroughly investigated. There is no evidence to substantiate the allegations. The objects are in the collection.”
Once again,Gradel refused to take no for an answer,and contacted Mr Osborne directly in January this year,setting out the evidence he had gathered.
He told the former chancellor:“I realise,of course,that the evidence I have found is embarrassing and can potentially cause immense damage to the institution:that is not what I want to do,if it can be avoided.”
“But I will absolutely not accept once more to be simply told to get lost and mind my own business.”
Osborne replied that “I have taken your comments very seriously” and that his allegations were being “looked at”.
In his letter to Osborne,Gradel also accused the museum’s managers of treating him with “the most appalling arrogance” when he tried to help them by alerting them to the thefts.