A TV art dealer is facing up to five years in prison after admitting to committing terrorism offences by selling works to suspected Hezbollah financier Nazem Ahmad.
Oghenochuko Ojiri, 53, also known as Ochuko, was arrested two years ago by officers from the UK's National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit as part of an investigation into alleged terrorist financing and money laundering by Mr Ahmad, an art collector and diamond dealer.
Mr Ahmad, 60, a dual Belgian-Lebanese citizen, is under sanctions by Britain and the US. He has been accused of using the UK’s fine art market to run an international financing operation for Hezbollah, which is proscribed in the UK as a terrorist organisation.
The art dealer's connection to the investigation into Mr Ahmad was first revealed by The National on Thursday, when he was charged.
Ojiri is known for his appearances on the BBC’s Bargain Hunt and has also appeared on the BBC's Antiques Road Trip.
Appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday, Ojiri admitted to eight charges of failing to disclose his dealings with Mr Ahmad, which took place between October 2020 and December 2021, contrary to the Terrorism Act 2000.
Prosecutor Lyndon Harris told the court that Ojiri “engaged in sales of artwork to Nazem Ahmad, a suspected terrorist financier”.
Following the introduction of new money laundering regulations in January 2020 that brought the art market under the supervision of UK Customs, Ojiri is said to have discussed the changes with a colleague, indicating awareness of the rules, he told the court.
“At the time of the transactions, Ojiri knew Mr Ahmad had been sanctioned in the US,” Mr Harris said. “He accessed news reports about Mr Ahmad and engaged in conversations with others about that, which indicates that he had information about Mr Ahmad.”
Mr Harris told the court that all the deals Ojiri carried out with Mr Ahmad were genuine and the total value of the artwork sold was around £140,000, although details of the work were not revealed in court. The maximum sentence for the offences to which Ojiri pleaded guilty is five years.
District Judge Briony Clarke granted bail but ordered Ojiri to surrender his passport and not to apply for international travel documents. Sentencing will take place at the Old Bailey on June 6.
Defence lawyer Gavin Irwin told the court: “He is not a flight risk. The fact that he is here − he has left the UK and has always returned knowing he may be charged with offences − he will be here on the next occasion.”
Ojiri has described himself as being “absolutely obsessed” with collecting contemporary art, paintings, prints, sculptures and drawings.
Mr Ahmad was first accused by the US Treasury in 2019 of laundering substantial amounts of money and being involved in the smuggling of “blood diamonds” for Hezbollah. He was sanctioned, then in April 2024 charged by the US along with eight associates with offences relating to breaching sanctions regulations.
Police swooped on the high-security depot near London's Heathrow Airport in 2024, taking away nearly two dozen works of art belonging to Mr Ahmad, which they believe would probably have funded Hezbollah.
At the same time, at an auction house in central London they seized art that Mr Ahmad had hoped to sell. The nearly two dozen works included paintings by Picasso and Andy Warhol and had a total value of almost £1 million ($1.32 million).
Among the charges Mr Ahmad is facing are defrauding the US and foreign governments, evading sanctions and money laundering.
The UK government also placed sanction on Mr Ahmad, saying he had an extensive art collection in Britain and conducted business with several UK-based artists, art galleries and auction houses. Has also been banned from travelling to the UK.
Sanctions regulations in Britain were tightened in a bid to stop terrorists and criminals from using art and other high-value goods to conceal their wealth in response to his activities.
The US authorities want to bring Mr Ahmad to trial and has offered a $10 million reward for information on his whereabouts. They believe he is currently in Beirut.
