At first, Ochuko Ojiri refused to answer police questions, but in a prepared statement he said he had no reason to believe Mr Ahmad was a terrorist and money launderer.
But evidence seized from his phone showed he had researched who Mr Ahmad was and knew he had been sanctioned by the US. A colleague had even messaged to warn him against doing business with Mr Ahmad.
At today’s sentencing hearing Lyndon Harris, for the prosecution, said “analysis of Ojiri’s phone revealed Mr Ahmad was in his contacts as ‘Moss Collector’, a name deliberately chosen to disguise the art collector as one of his contacts.”
The Old Bailey heard how Mr Ahmad had sent Ojiri messages on email and Instagram. “The defendant engaged in sales discussions and sales with Nazem Ahmad and his associates” over a 14-month period.
He explained how Ojiri’s arrest came after people working in the art market were brought into the regulated sector in 2020, meaning they were bound by anti-money laundering and terrorist financing measures to report suspicious transactions or face prosecution.
The TV star was charged under a section of the Terrorism Act 2000 that has never been used before. Police hope it will send a clear message to those doing business in the art world.
“You will need to make sure you are doing your due diligence,” says Cdr Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command
Last year, the National Crime Agency issued an amber alert warning that storage facilities for artwork could be used by criminals “seeking a capital asset that can be safely stored, that appreciates in value over time, and that can be liquidated if and when required”.
It followed the seizure of 23 paintings, worth almost £1m, from a warehouse and an auction house in London. The art, which included work by Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol, belonged to Mr Ahmad.
It will soon be sold off at auction as the proceeds of crime and the money raised will go to the Home Office to be used in the fight against crime.
Ahead the sentencing on Friday, the BBC Press Office said: “Oghenochuko Ojiri is not a member of staff but a freelance presenter. He is not currently working with the BBC and has not worked on BBC programmes since 2023.”
