Court Issues Restraining Order in Sotheby’s Cambodian Statue Case

U.S. District Court Judge George B. Daniels today issued a restraining order on a statue located at Sotheby’s in Manhattan.  He ordered that the ancient Khmer temple statute remain at the auction house, and further ordered that it be made available for inspection by federal authorities pending an April 12 review hearing.

Yesterday federal authorities filed a forfeiture action in the southern district of New York, alleging in in an alternative theory complaint, that the statue is in the United States unlawfully.  Federal prosecutors allege that the ancient Khmer temple statute is stolen property.  Now they are attempting to “arrest” the statue as is common in a forfeiture case.

Chasing Aphrodite has been acquiring legal papers surrounding the case in advance of official publication.  So their blog may be worth a visit to get the latest information.

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