Bargain Hunt expert admits terror offence after sales to 'Hezbollah financier'

Oghenochuko Ojiri arrives at court on Friday

An art expert who has worked on the BBC's Bargain Hunt has admitted failing to report a series of high-value art sales to a man suspected of financing the proscribed group Hezbollah.

Oghenochuko Ojiri, 53, pleaded guilty to eight counts under the Terrorism Act 2000 of failing to make a disclosure during the course of business, the first prosecution of its kind.

The court heard on Friday that Ojiri sold artwork worth £140,000 to Nazem Ahmad, who is accused of supporting the Lebanon-based group and was sanctioned by the US in 2019.

Lyndon Harris, prosecuting, said Ojiri had read news reports showing Ahmad had been sanctioned and discussed this with other people.

The offences took place between October 2020 and December 2021.

Ojiri founded Ramp Gallery, now known as the Ojiri Gallery, based in east London.

Mr Harris said: "There is one discussion where Ojiri is party to a conversation where it is apparent a lot of people have known for years about [Ahmad's] terrorism links."

He added that "Ramp Gallery engaged a third party to advise on compliance matters" but that the advice given was "not properly acted on".

Westminster Magistrates' Court heard that Ojiri "dealt with Mr Ahmad directly, negotiated the sales of artwork and congratulated him on purchases".

The prosecution's case claimed that at the time of the transactions, there was a significant amount of online material showing Ahmad's alleged links to the "blood diamond" trade - a reference to how diamonds are sometimes used to fund armed conflict and insurgencies.

Nazem Ahmad is accused of supporting Hezbollah and was sanctioned by the US in 2019

Ahmad was also sanctioned by the UK government in April 2023, which froze his assets and banned UK nationals from doing business with him or his companies. That restriction was imposed on the day Ojiri was arrested.

At the time, the UK government said Ahmad had "an extensive art collection in the UK" and conducted business "with multiple UK-based artists, art galleries and auction houses".

Hezbollah is a Shia Muslim political and military group in Lebanon and is backed by Iran. It is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by countries including the UK and the US.

Ojiri, also known as Ochuko Ojiri, was charged following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police's specialist arts and antiques unit, alongside the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) and HMRC.

Under the legislation, it is an offence if people do not notify police if they know or suspect a business associate to have been involved in financing a proscribed group.

According to the prosecution, Ojiri told police he did not support terrorist activity and was sorry for what he had done.

He said he knew who Ahmad was and he denied that money or greed were motivating factors, saying it was more because of the excitement and kudos of dealing with a "name" in the collecting world.

Ojiri is listed on Bargain Hunt's website as one of the show's experts.

He is not a member of BBC staff, works as a freelance presenter and has also appeared on Antiques Road Trip and Channel 5's Storage: Flog the Lot! He has not worked on BBC programmes since 2023.

A BBC spokesperson said: "It would not be appropriate to comment on ongoing legal proceedings."

District Judge Briony Clarke granted Ojiri bail but ordered him to surrender his passport. Gavin Irwin, mitigating, told the court Ojiri was not a flight risk.

He will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on 6 June.