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London – In a landmark prosecution, art dealer and television personality Oghenochuko Ojiri has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for selling artworks to a suspected Hezbollah financier without declaring the transactions.
Ojiri, 53, admitted to eight counts of failing to disclose potential terrorist financing under the Terrorism Act 2000—the first conviction of its kind in the UK. The case, brought by the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, centred on sales to Nazem Ahmad, a Lebanese-Belgian collector sanctioned by the US in 2019 for allegedly funding Hezbollah, a proscribed terrorist organisation.
“A Custodial Sentence Was Justified”
At Friday’s sentencing at the Old Bailey, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb stated Ojiri had knowingly engaged with Ahmad despite clear warnings. “Your hard work, talent, and charisma brought you success,” she said, “but you knew you should not have been dealing with that man.”
While no evidence linked Ojiri to extremism, the judge ruled his actions “undermined the detection of terrorist financing.” Defence barrister Gavin Irwin described his client as “naïve” and said his “humiliation is complete,” having lost his reputation and career.
From TV Fame to Criminal Charges
Ojiri, known for appearances on Bargain Hunt and Antiques Road Trip, ran Ramp Gallery (later Ojiri Gallery) in East London. Between 2021 and 2022, he sold Ahmad nearly £140,000 worth of art, including a £20,000 painting by Icelandic artist Baldur Helgason.
Police uncovered that Ahmad—wanted by the US with a $10m bounty—used art to launder money, shipping purchases to Dubai and Beirut. Despite listing Ahmad as “Moss Collector” on his phone, Ojiri’s digital trail proved he was aware of the sanctions.
A Warning to the Art Market
Bethan David of the CPS Counter Terrorism Division said Ojiri’s motive was “financial gain and gallery prestige.” The case marks a turning point in art trade regulation, with new anti-money laundering laws now enforced.
Commander Dominic Murphy of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command warned: “Due diligence is no longer optional.” Last year, £1m of Ahmad’s seized art—including works by Picasso and Warhol—was confiscated under proceeds of crime laws.
Ojiri, no longer working with the BBC, will serve an additional year on licence post-release. Meanwhile, Ahmad remains at large, with US prosecutors alleging $440m in illicit art and diamond trades.
His Website and Gallery state: Ojiri Gallery is a contemporary art gallery based in London which opened in November 2021, following its official rebrand from Ramp Gallery. With two spaces in East London, the gallery’s programme uses their Dalston space to exhibit early and developing artists as well as experimental and curated shows. Ojiri Gallery’s primary operations are now based in the heart of Shoreditch. This space is dedicated to celebrating and showcasing the gallery’s growing roster of both established and emerging artists. It is still in operation.
It seems to us that if the government were serious about prosecuting money launderers, it would target the big fish, Christie’s and Sotheby’s, as well as numerous high-end dealers at major art fairs like Art Basel and Maastricht. Am I cynical? Only a thought!!!!
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