The Disciplinary Court of the Supreme State Council on Tuesday announced its decision to postpone the “Van Gogh Poppy Painting” case, in which twelve officials in the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts are accused of theft, until 21 December 2011.

The Poppy Painting was stolen from the Mahmoud Khalil Museum in August 2010 due to lax security. It was previously reported that the depiction of a vase filled with yellow poppies, was sliced from its frame and taken. After a 48 hour investigation within the ministry, the Administrative Prosecution accused artist Mohsen Shaalan along with 11 of the ministry’s security officials and transferred them to the Disciplinary Court for trial.