Man accused of owning stolen artifact tells his story

An Edmonton man charged with possessing an ancient artifact that was stolen from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in 2011 says he didnt realize how old or valuable it was.

Simon Metke says he paid a friend of a friend $1,400 for the item while on a visit to Montreal.

• Stolen artifact from Montreal museum recovered in Edmonton

Metke claims he didnt know the item was a Persian bas-relief from the fifth century B.C. worth $1.2 million, that was stolen from the museum in September 2011.

Bought it thinking that it was some kind of replica or Mesopotamian souvenir, Metke said Thursday.

I knew that it wasnt something really cheap-looking, but didnt realize the reality of what it was.

Metke, 33, was charged late last month after officers from the Sret du Qubec and the RCMP executed a search warrant on his Edmonton condominium on Jan. 22.

Police announced the recovery of the artifact and the charges laid against Metke and his girlfriend on Thursday.

Metke says he only learned the value of the piece when police told him the night he was arrested.

Im really glad that I was able to to protect this thing and look after it and it sort of feels like it may have come to me to be protected so that it didnt get destroyed or lost, he said.

A Roman marble statue of a head, also taken from the museum that day, has not been recovered.

Metke is charged with possessing stolenproperty over $5,000, possessing a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and possessing the proceeds of crime.

His 26-year-old girlfriend is charged with possessing the proceeds of crime and possessing a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking.