Ochuko Ojiri pleads guilty following police investigation into terrorist financing:

The court heard Oghenochuko “Ochuko” Ojiri sold art to a known Hezbollah financier to a value of about £140,000.

Art dealer Ochuko Ojiri who featured on BBC’s Bargain Hunt admitted to eight counts of failing to make a disclosure during the course of business within the regulated sector, contrary to section 21A of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard he sold art to a known Hezbollah financier to a value of about £140,000.

Prosecutor Lyndon Harris said Ojiri sold art to Nazem Ahmad, a suspected financier of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah.

“At the time of the transactions, Mr Ojiri knew Mr Ahmad had been sanctioned in the US,” Mr Harris told the court.

“Mr Ojiri accessed news reports about Mr Ahmad’s designation and engaged in discussions with others about his designation.”

“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.”

Ojiri “dealt with Mr Ahmed directly, negotiated the sales of artwork and congratulated him on those sales,” according to Mr Harris.

Each count Ojiri faced related to an individual sales of artworks, which were sent to Dubai, UAE and Beirut, Lebanon.