Watan-A UK court has sentenced a British art dealer to two years and six months in prison for failing to report the sale of valuable antiques to a man suspected of financing Hezbollah, the Lebanese group classified as a terrorist organization in the United Kingdom.
Eugenochukwu Ogieri, 53, was convicted by London’s Old Bailey criminal court for selling artworks worth around £140,000 (approx. $190,000) to Nazem Ahmad, a wealthy Lebanese art collector who has been under U.S. sanctions since 2019 for allegedly being a “high-level financier” of Hezbollah.
In her ruling, Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb stated:“You knew Ahmad was suspected of terror financing and how individuals like him exploit the art market.”
Ogieri pleaded guilty to eight counts related to failing to disclose information under the UK’s Terrorism Act, becoming the first person convicted under these specific provisions.
Operating an art gallery in London, Ogieri was previously featured on a BBC television show and made the sales to Ahmad between October 2020 and December 2021. Despite the legal obligations, he concealed Ahmad’s identity by altering invoices and saving his phone number under a false name.
According to Bethan David from the Crown Prosecution Service’s counter-terrorism division, Ogieri:“Knowingly tried to obscure the real buyer and was motivated by financial gain and a desire to elevate his gallery’s reputation by dealing with a high-profile collector.”
He was arrested in April 2023, the same day the UK government formally announced sanctions against Ahmad.
His lawyer argued that Ogieri was “naive” and was detained while filming for the BBC.
As part of a joint operation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, UK police also seized a number of artworks owned by Ahmad from two warehouses in the UK, including pieces by Picasso and Andy Warhol.
Dominic Murphy, head of London’s Counter Terrorism Command, warned:“This case sends a clear message to art dealers: we can and will prosecute those who knowingly engage with individuals sanctioned as terrorist financiers.”
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