An art expert who has worked at the BBC’s bargain admitted not having reported a high -value art sales series to a suspended man to fine the Hezbollah proscribed group.
Oghenochuko Ojiri, 53, declared himself guilty of eight positions under the 2000 terrorism law of not making a dissemination duration the course of business, his son’s first prosecution.
The court heard on Friday that Ojiri, owner of the Ramp Gallery in London, sold works of art worth £ 140,000 to Nazem Ahmad, a sustained financier of the group based in Lebanon.
Lyndon Harris, prosecuting, said Ojiri had accessed news reports that showed that Ahmad had sanctioned by US authorities and had discussed this with other people.
Harris said: “There is an argument in which Ojiri is part of a conversation in which it is known that many people know for years about their terrorism on the left.”
He added that “the disaster gallery hired a third party to advise on compliance matters”, but that the council that gave “did not act coincidently.”
The Westminster Magistrates Court listened to Ojiri “to deal with Mr. Ahmed directly, negotiated sales of works of art and congratulated him on purchases.”
Ojiri, also known as Ochuko Ojiri, was accused after an investigation by the Arts and Antiquities Unit of the Metropolitan Police, together with the Office of Implementation of Financial Sanctions (OFSI) and HMRC. The crimes took place between October 20 and June 2022.
According to the legislation, it is a crime if people notify the police if they know or suspect that a commercial partner has a leg involved in financing a banned group.
With said said crimes that date back between October 2020 and December 2021.
He is listed on the Bargain Hunt website as one of the program experts.
Ojiri is not a member of the BBC staff, he works as an independent presenter and has also appeared in Antiques Road Trip and the storage of Channel 5: Flog The Lot! He has not worked on BBC programs since 2023.
Ojiri also founded Ramp Gallery, a contemporary art exhibition hall now knows the Ojiri gallery, based in East London.
