A prominent expert on the BBC’s Bargain Hunt, Ogheneochuko Ojiri, has admitted to failing to report multiple art transactions with a man suspected of financing Hezbollah, in a case that marks a first under the UK’s anti-terror finance laws.
As reported by The Times (UK), Ojiri, 53, from west London, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, where he pleaded guilty to eight counts of failing to disclose transactions in the regulated art market under section 21A of the Terrorism Act 2000. The offences took place between October 2020 and December 2021.
The court was told that Ojiri, who joined Bargain Hunt in 2019 and also appears on Antiques Road Trip, sold approximately £140,000 worth of artwork to Nazem Ahmad — a man sanctioned by the U.S. government for allegedly funding the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Prosecutor Lyndon Harris said that Ojiri was well aware of Ahmad’s sanctioned status at the time. “Mr Ojiri accessed news reports about Mr Ahmad’s designation and engaged in discussions with others about his designation,” Harris told the court. “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.”
Despite this awareness, Ojiri continued to deal directly with Ahmad, negotiated the artwork sales, and even congratulated him on their completion. The transactions were genuine — the artworks were shipped to destinations including Dubai, the UAE, and Beirut.
The case was jointly investigated by the Metropolitan Police’s counterterrorism command, including its National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit, as well as HMRC and the Treasury’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation. It is the first time anyone has been charged with failing to disclose transactions in the art market under the specific provisions of the Terrorism Act.
Harris also highlighted Ojiri’s knowledge of money laundering regulations introduced in 2020, suggesting he understood his legal obligations. These rules brought the UK’s art market under tighter scrutiny and require dealers to report suspicious activity or transactions involving sanctioned individuals.
District Judge Briony Clarke granted Ojiri bail but imposed restrictions, including the surrender of his passport and a ban on applying for new travel documents. His sentencing is scheduled for June 6 at the Old Bailey.
Ojiri, a freelance art dealer and broadcaster, described himself in a BBC Q&A as “absolutely obsessed” with collecting contemporary art, including paintings, prints, sculpture, and drawings.
