British art expert Oghenochuko Ojiri, known for his appearances on the BBC's art shows Bargain Hunt and Antiques Road Trip, admitted Friday before Westminster Court to not reporting a series of valuable art sales to Lebanese Nazem Ahmad, a presumed Hezbollah financier, according to the major British network.

Ojiri, who describes himself as a contemporary art enthusiast, collecting paintings, prints, sculptures, and drawings, pleaded guilty to eight charges for failing to report suspicious transactions in the course of his professional activities, as required by the regulated art market sector. The offenses date from October 2020 to December 2021.

London's Metropolitan Police said, this is the first prosecution in the UK for this specific offense, as provided by section 21A of the Terrorism Act 2000.

According to the evidence presented Friday before Westminster Court in London, Ojiri allegedly sold art worth 140,000 pounds, or about 186,000 dollars, to Ahmad, the businessman and wealthy art collector and diamond dealer, suspected of funding Hezbollah, designated as a terrorist organization by the UK since 2023.

The British government froze his assets in 2023 and banned British citizens from doing business with him or his companies, four years after a similar decision was made by the United States. A restriction imposed after Ojiri's offenses. According to British authorities, Ahmad, a 60-year-old Belgian-Lebanese national, allegedly used the UK art market to establish an international funding network for Hezbollah.

Ahmad has been on the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control's Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list since 2019 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support, or goods and services in support of Hezbpllah.

Prosecutor Lyndon Harris stated that the accused was fully aware of the sanctions against Nazem Ahmad, having been informed through the media and having discussed it with his acquaintances. "A conversation clearly shows that several people have long known that had ties to terrorist activities," he asserted.

Ojiri, founder of Ojiri Gallery, an art gallery located in East London, is said to have dealt directly with the Lebanese businessman, personally negotiating the transactions and congratulating him on his acquisitions. Although the gallery hired an external advisor for compliance matters, the recommendations provided were not duly implemented, according to the charges, cited by the BBC.

This case was prosecuted following a joint investigation conducted by the specialized arts and antiques unit of London's Metropolitan Police, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), and the UK tax authority (HMRC).

The anti-terrorism legislation in force in the UK requires professionals to report any suspicion of a link between a business partner and a banned organization.

Judge Briony Clarke granted Ojiri bail, requiring him to surrender his passport. His lawyer, Gavin Irwin, assured that his client posed no flight risk. Sentencing is scheduled for June 6 before London's Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey.

Nazem Ahmad, still on the run in Lebanon

The investigation into Ahmad's activities took a turn in 2024 when British police conducted spectacular seizures. Nearly two dozen artworks belonging to him, with a total value nearing a million pounds, were recovered from a secure warehouse near Heathrow Airport and an auction house in London. Among the seized pieces were works by Picasso and Andy Warhol, which investigators suspect were used to fund Hezbollah.

The British government claims that Nazem Ahmad had a significant art collection in the UK and maintained business relations with several artists, galleries, and local auction houses. Washington, eager to prosecute him, is now offering up to ten million dollars for any information leading to his arrest. He is currently believed to be in Beirut.