UK Art Dealer Pleads Guilty to Charges Linked to Hezbollah Financing

Oghenochuko Ojiri, an art dealer who once featured on the BBC, has pleaded guilty to selling artworks valued at £140,000 to a suspected financier for the militant group Hezbollah, reflecting concerns over potential terrorist financing.

Oghenochuko Ojiri, 53, a prominent British art dealer known for his appearances on the popular BBC show “Bargain Hunt,” has entered a guilty plea in Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London regarding charges tied to terrorist financing. The dealer admitted to eight counts of failing to disclose transactions involving artworks sold to Nazem Ahmad, a suspected financier for the militant group Hezbollah.

Hezbollah, recognized as a terrorist organization by both the UK and the US, has alleged connections to Iran. Prosecutor Lyndon Harris stated that Ojiri sold artworks totaling around £140,000 ($186,000) to Ahmad within the timeframe of October 2020 to January 2022, despite knowing of Ahmad's controversial status.

While Ojiri was identified on the “Bargain Hunt” website as an expert, the BBC clarified that he hadn’t participated in their programming since 2023 and operated independently rather than as a corporation employee. As the case unfolds, media sources will continue to provide updates on this significant legal development.