Bargain Hunt expert pleads guilty to terror offences
An art dealer who appeared on BBC Bargain Hunt has pleaded guilty to eight charges relating to funding terrorism.
Oghenochuko Ojiri admitted failing to report a series of high value art sales to Nazem Ahmed, a man suspected of funding Hezbollah, the Lebanese terror group.
The 53-year-old appeared at Westminster magistrates' court on Friday where he pleaded guilty to eight offences under Section 21a of the Terrorism Act 2000.
Ojiri sold the works of arts to Ahmed despite knowing that he had been sanctioned as a terrorist financier by the United States.
The sales took place between October 2020 and December 2021 with a total value of around £140,000. Ojiri was arrested in April 2023.
Lyndon Harris, for the prosecution, said: 'At the time of the transactions, Mr Ojiri knew Mr Ahmed had been sanctioned in the US. Mr Ojiri accessed news reports about Mr Ahmed's designation and engaged in discussions with others about his designation.
'There is one discussion where Mr Ojiri is party to a conversation where it is apparent a lot of people have known for years about his terrorism links.
Mr Harris added that Ojiri 'dealt with Mr Ahmed directly, negotiated the sales of artwork and congratulated him on those sales'.
Following the introduction of new money laundering regulations in January 2020 that brought the art market under HMRC supervision, Ojiri is said to have discussed the changes with a colleague, indicating awareness of the rules.
'They are not sham transactions – the art was sent to Dubai, the UAE, or Beirut,' Mr Harris added.
Briony Clarke, the district judge, granted bail but ordered Ojiri to surrender his passport and not to apply for international travel documents.
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