Dealer and buyer Ittai Gradel reported stolen items to the museum two-and-a-half years ago, emails show.
Dr Gradel's emails suggest he became suspicious when he "stumbled" upon a photo of a cast of a Roman cameo fragment that he said had been up for sale and had been listed on the British Museum website but had since been removed.
In one of several emails he sent to follow up any progress, this time to a board trustee, Dr Gradel accuses the director - Hartwig Fischer - and Mr Williams of "sweeping it all under the carpet." Chair of the museum former chancellor George Osborne was alerted to Dr Gradel's emails by one of the museum's trustees in October 2022.
Labour MP Ben Bradshaw, a former culture secretary, told BBC News the latest allegations were "extremely serious"."This has potential reputational damage for Britain because this is already being reported across the globe. The British Museum is a probably the world's most famous museum."
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