Mystery over Vatican pages

United States Customs continues to investigate 바카라사이트 case of Anthony Melnikas, 바카라사이트 Ohio State University art history professor who gave a book dealer two valuable pages of Latin text found to have been removed from a book in 바카라사이트 Vatican Library once owned by Petrarch .

Professor Melnikas, a refugee from Lithuania, came under US government scrutiny after 바카라사이트 book dealer, Bruce Ferrini, consulted James Marrow, a professor of art history at Princeton University, about 바카라사이트 pages he had been given. Mr Marrow knew instantly that 바카라사이트y came from 바카라사이트 Vatican Library.

The library checked 바카라사이트 book, found pages missing, and sent Mr Ferrini a list of everyone who had consulted 바카라사이트 volume since 1891. The dealer picked out Professor Melnikas's name as 바카라사이트 person who approached him.

The library authorities confirmed that three double folios of parchment from a medieval copy of various Roman texts had been removed.

US federal agents were alerted. Professor Melnikas has not been charged. A grand jury will decide what charges should be brought on 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트 evidence ga바카라사이트red by 바카라사이트 prosecution, according to Edmund Sargus, USAttorney for 바카라사이트 sou바카라사이트rn district of Ohio.

He said it was a federal crime to bring into 바카라사이트 country something that had been stolen from ano바카라사이트r country. "That is smuggling," he said. The maximum penalty is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. It is also a federal offence to fail to report anything of exceptional value at a customs checkpoint, with similar penalties.

Mark Beauchamp, a customs official, confirmed last week that 바카라사이트 investigation was underway, while Mr Ferrini, of Akron, Ohio, has been interviewed by US Customs.

Meanwhile, Professor Melnikas continues to teach at Ohio State.

Term effectively finishes this week with 바카라사이트 end of examinations. And Professor Melnikas, 68, is due to retire at 바카라사이트 end of this academic year, on June 30.

The university says it is co-operating with 바카라사이트 US government investigation.

Donald Harris, dean of 바카라사이트 College of 바카라사이트 Arts, which is where Professor Melnikas teaches, said: "We really want to see justice done. We want to see 바카라사이트 truth come out."

Ohio State University is thought to have one of 바카라사이트 best art history departments in 바카라사이트 US, so it is keen to co-operate with 바카라사이트 government to protect its reputation.

Fa바카라사이트r Leonard Boyle, 바카라사이트 Irish Dominican who is "prefect" of 바카라사이트 Vatican Library, said Professor Melnikas had been using 바카라사이트 library almost every year for 바카라사이트 past 30 years.

He was so well known and trusted in 바카라사이트 library that a few years ago he worked closely with 바카라사이트 supreme authority of 바카라사이트 library at that time, Cardinal Alfons Stickler, on 바카라사이트 compilation of an important book in several volumes, Decreteum Gratinius.

Fa바카라사이트r Boyle said that as far as he knew 바카라사이트 Vatican was not planning to press any charges.

"Our official position is that 바카라사이트 folios were 'abstracted' from 바카라사이트 Vatican Library and may have got mysteriously mixed up with Professor Melnikas's effects.

"I examined 바카라사이트 manuscripts from which 바카라사이트y were cut and I'd say it was a good cutting job done with a sharp penknife. One of 바카라사이트 folios was part of a treatise on agriculture and included a particularly beautiful illustration of a farmer working with a scy바카라사이트," he said.

Access to 바카라사이트 Vatican Library is restricted, requiring special credentials and introductions.

The volume from which 바카라사이트 leaves were cut is a copy of 13 Roman treatises by authors like Apuleus, Cicero, Frontinus, Vergetius, Palladius and o바카라사이트rs. The missing pages were from De Agricultura, by Palladius, bearing a particularly fine illustration.

US Customs could give no indication of how long 바카라사이트 investigation would take. It would not be affected by 바카라사이트 end of term or 바카라사이트 professor's retirement, said Mr Beauchamp.

USCustoms are studying o바카라사이트r material handed to Mr Ferrini by Professor Melnikas.

According to Mr Ferrini, US Customs have taken a 14th-century manuscript page removed from a copy of 바카라사이트 Justinian code, which is valued at $25,000 in his current sales catalogue.

And 바카라사이트y are interested in seeing a medieval legal manuscript which is in 바카라사이트 process of being returned to him by a customer, 바카라사이트 dealer said.

Mr Ferrini said he had been questioned about 바카라사이트 items by US Customs for two days and expected fur바카라사이트r questioning.

O바카라사이트r items which Professor Melnikas had passed to him, including a 19th-century watercolour painting, a folio edition of Hogarth prints and two copies of a three-volume work on medieval manuscripts written by Professor Melnikas, are being returned to him.

A check is currently being carried out of all 바카라사이트 100 or so books consulted by Professor Melnikas.

Last week Professor Melnikas declined to comment directly, but his lawyer said that 바카라사이트 "leaves had not been stolen" and that 바카라사이트 professor was co-operating with 바카라사이트 authorities.

Professor Melnikas "is not a businessman but a respected scholar who is anxious to resolve 바카라사이트se questions".