TSA denies opening instrument case after musician says his kora was in pieces

A renowned Malian musician said when he came back to Paris on Monday from a concert tour in the US, he opened the case to his kora and found the instrument in pieces. The musician, Ballake Sissoko, 53, blamed the TSA, prompting outrage among his fans on Facebook and international headlines. But the TSA said Thursday that the agency hadn’t opened the case holding the kora, a delicate long-necked harp lute. “It is most unfortunate that Mr. Sissoko’s instrument was damaged in transport,” the agency said. “However, after a thorough review of the claim, it was determined that TSA did not open the instrument case, because it did not trigger an alarm when it was screened for possible explosives.” Sissoko flew from Kennedy International Airport in New York to Paris on an Air France flight Sunday, after he wrapped up the two-week tour, according to his manager, Corinne Serres. When he opened the case to his kora, which had been custom made for him, Serres said, he found it destroyed. Inside the case, Serres said, was what appeared to be a T.S.A. advisory, written in Spanish, telling Sissoko that his case had been picked for a physical inspection to search for “prohibited items.” (Sissoko speaks French.) <br/>