A TV art dealer has been charged as part of an investigation into alleged terrorist financing and money laundering by a suspected Hezbollah financier.
Oghenochuko ‘Ochuko' Ojiri, 53, was arrested two years ago by officers from the National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit (NTFIU), part of the Met Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday. The Met said previously that the arrest related to an investigation into wealthy art collector and diamond dealer Nazem Ahmad, who is suspected of being a funding source for Hezbollah.
Mr Ahmad, 60, a dual Belgian-Lebanese citizen, is sanctioned by Britain and the US. He has been accused of using the UK’s fine art market to run an international financing operation for Hezbollah, which is proscribed in the UK as a terrorist organisation.
Mr Ojiri is known for his appearances on the BBC’s Bargain Hunt and has also appeared on the BBC's Antiques Road Trip. Mr Ojiri has described himself as being "absolutely obsessed" with collecting contemporary art, paintings, prints, sculptures and drawings.
He has been charged with eight counts of failing to make a disclosure during the course of business within the regulated arts sector, contrary to section 21A of the Terrorism Act 2000. The charges relate to the period from October 2020 to December 2021. The Met Police say he is the first person charged with the specific office.
Mr Ahmad was first accused by the US Treasury in 2019 of laundering substantial amounts of money and being involved in the smuggling of “blood diamonds” for Hezbollah. He was sanctioned, then in April 2024 charged by the US along with eight associates with offences relating to breaching sanctions regulations.
Police swooped on the high-security depot near London's Heathrow Airport in 2024, taking away nearly two dozen works of art belonging to Mr Ahmad, which they believe would probably have funded Hezbollah. At the same time, at an auction house in central London they seized art that Mr Ahmad had hoped to sell. The nearly two dozen works included paintings by Picasso and Andy Warhol and had a total value of almost £1 million.
Among the charges Mr Ahmad is facing are defrauding the US and foreign governments, evading sanctions and money laundering. The UK government also sanctioned Mr Ahmad, saying he had an extensive art collection in Britain and conducted business with several UK-based artists, art galleries and auction houses.
The US authorities want to bring Mr Ahmad to trial and has offered a $10 million reward for information on his whereabouts. They believe he is currently in Beirut.
if you go
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
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How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
DUBAI WORLD CUP RACE CARD
6.30pm Meydan Classic Trial US$100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
7.05pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
8.15pm Dubai Sprint Listed Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,200m
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9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm Well Of Wisdom
7.05pm Summrghand
7.40pm Laser Show
8.15pm Angel Alexander
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9.25pm Art Du Val
10pm: Beyond Reason
SPECS
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
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Price: From Dh650,000
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