US EditionOchuko Ojiri: Bargain Hunt art expert pleads guilty following police investigation into terrorist financing
- On May 9, at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, 53-year-old art dealer and Bargain Hunt expert Oghenochuko Ojiri admitted guilt to eight counts related to failing to disclose information as required under a provision of the Terrorism Act 2000.
- His charges arise from a two-year investigation by the Metropolitan Police into his failure to report terrorist financing linked to art sales conducted from late 2020 through the end of 2021 involving Nazem Ahmad, a US-sanctioned individual suspected of funding Hezbollah.
- Ojiri conducted around nine art transactions valued at approximately £140,000 with Ahmad, negotiated sales directly, and acknowledged news reports of Ahmad’s sanctions while also discussing Ahmad’s terrorist links with others.
- District Judge Briony Clarke granted Ojiri bail with travel restrictions, and sentencing is scheduled for June 6 at the Old Bailey after the Crown Prosecution Service authorized charges following multi-agency investigations.
- This case marks the first prosecution under this offence, highlighting increased scrutiny of financial disclosures in the art sector connected to terrorist financing, with Ojiri expressing remorse and attributing his actions to excitement rather than greed.
35 Articles
35 Articles
New York Post
hive.newsBBC star Oghenochuko Ojiri pleads guilty to financing suspected Hezbollah financier
Oghenochuko Ojiri, who starred as an art expert on the BBC series "Bargain Hunt," pleaded guilty on Friday to helping finance the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
BBC Star Pleads Guilty to Terror Offenses Linked to Hezbollah.
PULSE POINTS:What Happened: A British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) presenter has pleaded guilty to financial terror offences linked to the terrorist group Hezbollah. Who’s Involved: Oghenochuko ‘Ochuko’ Ojiri, Hezbollah, Nazem Ahmad, Metropolitan Police. Where & When: London, England on May 9. Key Quote: “Nazem Ahmad is a suspected terrorist financier and at the time of the business relationship between them it was directly within the knowledg…
British-Nigerian art dealer Ochuko Ojiri pleads guilty to funding terrorism offences
A British-Nigerian art expert, Oghenochuko ‘Ochuko’ Ojiri, has admitted to financing terrorism for failing to report a series of high-value art sales to a man sanctioned for alleged links to the Hezbollah terrorist group. Ojiri is a 53-year-old London-based gallery owner who has appeared on BBC Bargain Hunt, Antiques Road Trip and Channel 5’s Storage: Flog the Lot! He was docked at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, May 9, 2025, where he …
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