LONDON (AP) – An art specialist featured on the BBC’s Bargain Hunt show was sentenced to prison on Friday for neglecting to report the sale of high-value artworks to suspected Lebanese investors linked to the Extremist Hezbollah Group.
At a prior hearing, Oghenochuko Ojiri, a 53-year-old, pleaded guilty to eight offenses under the 2000 Terrorist Act. Sales of art to Nazem Ahmad, a diamond and art dealer identified by both the UK and US as a financial operator for Hezbollah, occurred between October 2020 and December 2021.
Ojiri, who also appeared on the BBC’s Antique Road Trip, received a five-year prison sentence at London’s Central Criminal Court.
Aside from the prison term, Judge Bobby Cheema Grubb indicated that Ojiri might face additional years regarding his license, which is a period post-sentence during which criminals must comply with certain conditions to avoid returning to prison.
The judge remarked that Ojiri engaged in commercial dealings “for fame and profit,” noting that he was “well-regarded” even before his association with Ahmad.
“You were aware of Ahmad’s alleged ties to terrorist financing and how individuals like him could exploit the art market,” she stated. “This is a nadir. Your life can only follow one path from here, and I am certain you won’t find yourself before the court again.”
The Metropolitan Police’s investigation into Ojiri was conducted in collaboration with US Homeland Security, utilizing a shell company to delve into broader allegations of money laundering involving Ahmad.
“Utilizing certain laws pertaining to terrorist activities, this prosecution marks a first of its kind and should serve as a warning to all art dealers who engage with those identified as funders of terrorist organizations and those who deliberately conduct business with them.”
Ahmad was sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2019, which labeled him a significant money launderer based in Lebanon, involved in the smuggling of blood diamonds from conflict zones to finance violence.
Two years prior, the UK Treasury froze Ahmad’s assets in connection with funding Hezbollah, a Shiite extremist group backed by Iran and classified as an international terrorist organization.
Following Ojiri’s arrest in April 2023, the Metropolitan Police secured a warrant to seize numerous artworks belonging to Ahmad, including pieces by Picasso and Andy Warhol held in two UK warehouses.
Source: apnews.com