Bargain Hunt big name jailed for promoting artwork to suspected Hezbollah financier

A former Bargain Hunt artwork knowledgeable has been jailed for 2 years and 6 months for failing to claim artwork he bought to a suspected financier of Hezbollah.

In the primary prosecution of its sort, Oghenochuko Ojiri, 53, admitted 8 counts below the Terrorism Act 2000 of failing to make a disclosure throughout the route of commercial ahead of his sentencing on the Old Bailey on Friday. Hezbollah is a bunch proscribed as a terrorist organisation by means of the United Kingdom.

Judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb mentioned Ojiri were mindful the artwork he had bought used to be to Nazem Ahmad, who were sanctioned in 2019 by means of the United States government.

“These offences are so severe that only a custodial sentence can be justified,” she mentioned.

The pass judgement on mentioned: “You knew about Ahmad’s suspected involvement in financing terrorism and the way the art market can be exploited by people like him.”

“Your hard work, talent and charisma has brought you a great deal of success… you knew you should not have been dealing with that man,” she advised the courtroom.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb mentioned there used to be no proof Ojiri supported any type of extremism however that his habits undermined the detection of terrorist financing.

Gavin Irwin, representing Ojiri, mentioned the artwork knowledgeable’s “humiliation is complete” with the big name dropping “his good name” and the “work he loves.”

“He’d like to apologise for undermining trust” within the artwork marketplace, Mr Irwin mentioned, including Ojiri were naïve.

Profiting from a person who price range terrorism is an especially critical subject, mentioned Cdr Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command.

“Raising money for terrorism is a core part of how terrorist groups are then able to cause harm around the world,” he added.

Ojiri’s motivation seemed “to be financial along with a broader desire to boost his gallery’s reputation within the art market by dealing with such a well-known collector,” mentioned Bethan David, head of the CPS Counter Terrorism Division.

“This prosecution is believed to be the first of its kind, and the CPS will not hesitate to bring criminal charges against individuals who flout the law in this way.”

So how did an artwork knowledgeable, well-known for showing on UK sunlight hours tv get blended up in investment Hezbollah?

Financial investigators operating in a specialized counter-terrorism unit at Scotland Yard were monitoring a chain of suspicious transactions between the Middle East and London.

Working with HMRC and co-workers within the Metropolitan Police’s artwork and antiques unit, they enthusiastic about 9 bills made in 2020 and 2021 by means of a person known as Nazem Ahmad.

He used to be sanctioned in 2019 by means of US government as a result of he’s believed to be a best donor to Lebanon-based Hezbollah, a Shia Muslim political and armed forces staff, which is sponsored by means of Iran and banned as a terrorist organisation by means of the United States and UK.

Hezbollah used Ahmad, who has joint Lebanese-Belgian nationality, “to launder substantial amounts of money bound for the terrorist group”, in keeping with the United States Treasury division.

It claims Ahmad has longstanding ties with the unlawful business in “blood diamonds”, a connection with how diamonds are from time to time used to fund armed warfare and insurgencies.

US government are providing a $10m praise for details about Ahmad, who is believed to nonetheless be in Lebanon.

Authorities in the United States declare Ahmad, 60, who has an infinite artwork assortment price tens of millions of kilos, opened an artwork gallery in his house town Beirut as a entrance to launder cash.

Transactions exposed by means of UK police confirmed that Ahmad paid just about £140,000 for works, which he had shipped from London to Dubai and Beirut.

He purchased them from Ojiri, together with a £20,000 portray by means of Icelandic artist Baldur Helgason.

Ojiri based Ramp Gallery, now referred to as the Ojiri Gallery, founded in east London.

He got here to public prominence with appearances within the BBC collection Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, ahead of hitting the massive time on Bargain Hunt, in 2019. He has additionally seemed on Channel 5’s Storage: Flog the Lot!

In 2021, he joined Antiques Road Trip the place he scoured vintage retail outlets for treasures, competing to take advantage of cash at public sale and all the time dressed in one among his trademark hats.

By this time, he had made a number of secret gross sales of artwork to the Hezbollah financier.

Although he used to be cautious to stay Ahmad’s identify off the forms, officials within the National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit tracked the cash to Ojiri and, in April 2023, police arrested him.

On the similar day the Treasury sanctioned Ahmad and banned him from travelling to the United Kingdom.

The US government additionally charged Ahmad with defrauding the United States and overseas governments, cash laundering and sanctions evasion, claiming corporations attached to him were engaged in additional than $400m price of economic transactions between 2020 and 2022.

As a part of the American case, the Met police arrested a person dwelling in Hayes, west London, for extradition to the United States. Sundar Nagarajan is now waiting for trial in New York, accused of performing as Ahmad’s accountant and marketing consultant.

At first, Ochuko Ojiri refused to reply to police questions, however in a ready remark he mentioned he had no explanation why to consider Ahmad used to be a terrorist and cash launderer.

But proof seized from his telephone confirmed he had researched who Ahmad used to be and knew he were sanctioned by means of the United States. A colleague had even messaged to warn him towards doing industry with Ahmad.

His arrest got here after other folks operating within the artwork marketplace had been introduced into the regulated sector in 2019, that means they had been sure by means of anti-money laundering and terrorist financing measures to record suspicious transactions or face prosecution.

Presented with such damning proof, Ojiri mentioned he used to be sorry for what he had completed and advised police he had sought after to develop his industry.

He denied being motivated by means of greed and mentioned it used to be the kudos of coping with a reputation within the accumulating global. Ahmad’s Instagram account had 200,000 fans at the moment and he used to be noticed as a social media influencer within the artwork global.

Ojiri used to be charged below a piece of the Terrorism Act 2000 that hasn’t ever been used ahead of. Police hope it is going to ship a transparent message to these doing industry within the artwork global.

“You will need to make sure you are doing your due diligence,” Cdr Murphy mentioned.

Last 12 months, the National Crime Agency issued an amber alert caution that garage amenities for paintings may well be utilized by criminals “seeking a capital asset that can be safely stored, that appreciates in value over time, and that can be liquidated if and when required”.

It adopted the seizure of 23 art work, price nearly £1m, from a warehouse and an public sale space in London. The artwork, which incorporated paintings by means of Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol, belonged to Ahmad.

It will quickly be bought off at public sale because the proceeds of crime and the cash raised will move to the Home Office for use within the combat towards crime.