A British art dealer, who gained recognition as an expert on a well-known antiques television program, has admitted to selling artwork to a suspected financier linked to Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group.
Oghenochuko Ojiri, 53, pleaded guilty on Friday at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London to eight counts of failing to report potential terrorist financing.
Hezbollah, supported by Iran, is classified as a terrorist organization by both the UK and the United States.
Ojiri, who operates an art gallery in East London, frequently appeared as an expert advisor on the British television series “Bargain Hunt” and other related programs.
Court proceedings revealed that Ojiri sold multiple pieces of artwork to Nazem Ahmad, a man identified as a suspected terrorist financier sanctioned by the UK and US for his connections to Hezbollah.
The total value of the artworks sold to Ahmad between October 2020 and January 2022 was estimated at around £140,000 (approximately $186,000).
While Ojiri was listed as an expert on the “Bargain Hunt” website at the time of his charges, he has not been involved with any BBC programming since 2023 and worked as a freelancer rather than a full-time employee.
0 Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!