Oghenochuko Ojiri, a Nigerian-British art dealer, has pleaded guilty to charges pertaining to terrorism financing after failing to report art sales to a man allegedly linked to Hezbollah proscribed group.
Ojiri was arraigned on Friday at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in the United Kingdom (UK) on an eight-count charges and pleaded guilty.
The eight charges were based on Section 21(a) of the Terrorism Act 2000, which relates to the failure to report suspicious activity while conducting business in the regulated sector.
The UK’s metropolitan police revealed that Ojiri committed the offense between October 2020 and December 2021.
During the Friday’s court proceedings, Lyndon Harris, the prosecutor, said Ojiri sold artwork worth £140,000 to Nazem Ahmad, a Lebanon resident who had been accused of financing the Hezbollah group.
Ahmad has been on terrorism watch list of the United States (US) since 2019 and the UK in 2023.
Harris said Ojiri had read news reports showing Ahmad had been sanctioned and he discussed his findings with other people.
The prosecutor said the art dealer “dealt with Mr Ahmad directly, negotiated the sales of artwork and congratulated him on purchases.”
Harri said Ramp Gallery, the art company founded by Ojiri, engaged the services of the third party to seek advice for compliance over the sales but the advice was not acted upon.
He said, “There is one discussion where Ojiri is party to a conversation where it is apparent a lot of people have known for years about (Ahmad’s) terrorism links.”
Briony Clarke, the district judge, granted Ojiri bail on the condition that he surrender his passport, with sentencing scheduled at the Old Bailey on June 6.
