Egypt's top prosecutor on Monday ordered the detention of the deputy culture minister for four days in connection with the theft of a Vincent van Gogh painting, state media reported. Thieves made off with the canvas, known by the titles of “Poppy Flowers” and “Vase with Flowers,” on Saturday from the Mahmoud Khalil Museum in Cairo. None of the museum's alarms and only seven of 43 surveillance cameras were working at the time of the robbery. The prosecutor general ordered the detention of Deputy Culture Minister Mohsen Shalaan and four of the museum's security guards while they are investigated on suspicion of neglect and professional delinquency, according to the state-run Middle East News Agency. No charges have been filed. The prosecutor, Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud, implicated the deputy minister in the security lapses that he said led to the theft because he has an office in the museum and is in charge of its financial and administrative affairs. Shalaan “neglected his duties and didn't improve lax security measures by replacing the broken cameras and alarms,” MENA quoted the prosecutor as saying. The guards were accused of neglect for not checking museum visitors. Ten other people have been questioned and released Sunday but remain under investigation. The prosecutor said his office had warned Egypt's museums last year to implement stricter security controls after nine paintings were stolen from another Cairo institute, the Mohammed Ali Museum.
