Nigeria – British art dealer Ochuko Ojiri pleaded guilty to eight charges related to terrorist financing after being accused of selling art to a man suspected of funding Hezbollah.
The 53-year-old art dealer, who has been featured on the BBC’s popular show for several years, attended Westminster District Court this morning.
He was first charged with a specific crime under Section 21A of the Terrorism Act 2000.
This includes eight counts of failure to disclose during business periods within the regulated department, which he has now pleaded guilty.
The allegations against the TV characters, whose full name is Oghenochuko Ojiri, are related to the period from October 2020 to December 2021.
Ojiri, from West London, was formerly the owner of an old-fashioned store called Pelicans & Parrots in the capital, which closed in October 2021.
The store is known as the “coolest place in London” and sells contemporary furniture, curated home software and gifts.
Antique expert Ojiri first appears on the BBC screen, putting your money in your mouth.
Ojiri, wearing a grey suit, large transparent glasses and a blue polka dot tie, pleaded guilty to all eight charges today, standing in the dock in Westminster District Court.
Lyndon Harris, who indicted, told Judge Briony Clarke that Ojiri had sold the artwork to a man named Ahmad, who was suspected of funding Hezbollah.
Harris told the court: “Mr. Ogiri is engaged in the artwork of suspicious horror financiers and at the time of the transaction, Mr. Ogiri knows that he has been approved in the United States.
“There was a discussion that Mr. Augiri was a party of conversations, and he was said to have known that Mr. Ahmed had been in activities as an alleged terrorist financier for many years.
‘On January 10, 2022, the money laundering regulations came into effect and brought the art department under the supervision of HMRC.
Mr. Ogiri communicated with colleagues that he knew the regulations apply to him and his business.
Ramp Gallery received advice on compliance matters, but this did not take appropriate action.
During this period, Mr Ojiri handled Mr Ahmed directly, negotiated the sale of the artwork, congratulating him on his purchase, with the total sales value of the artwork being approximately £140,000. The art appears to have been sent to Dubai or Beirut.
Mr Irving said the maximum sentence for the crime is five years, as lawyers require conditional bail, which requires Ojiri to surrender to his passport and not apply for any travel documents.
The request was approved by Judge Briony Clarke, who sentenced Ojiri on June 6 at Bailey, in central London.
Gavin Irwin, who eased Ojiri, told the court: “He is not a flight risk.
The investigation that prompted the allegations of Ogiri was conducted by officials from the State Terror Finance Investigation Division, which is part of the Metropolitan Police Counter-Terrorism Command.
Police said the Treasury Department, HMRC and the Metropolitan Arts and Antiques Department were also involved in the investigation.
