Bargain Hunt and Antiques Road Trip expert Ochuko Ojiri has been charged with offences relating to terrorist financing.
The 53-year-old art dealer, who has been a regular on the BBC daytime shows over the past few years, faces eight counts of failing to make a disclosure during the course of business within the regulated sector, contrary to section 21A of the Terrorism Act 2000, the Metropolitan Police said.
He is the first person to be charged with the specific offence. The charges relate to a period from October 2020 to December 2021.
Ojiri, of west London, made his debut on Bargain Hunt in 2019, before joining the Antiques Road Trip line-up in 2021.
© @AntiquesRoadTrip/X/BBCAccording to his profile on the BBC website, Ojiri is "absolutely obsessed" with contemporary art, paintings, prints, sculpture and drawings.
Speaking about what he loves the most about appearing on Bargain Hunt, the expert said: "Meeting new people, and breathing new life and context into forgotten and neglected treasures."
The Crown Prosecution Service authorised the charges following an investigation into terrorist financing by officers from the Met's National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit, the force said.
© BBC / STV StudiosThe Treasury, HMRC and the Met's Arts & Antiques Unit were also involved in the probe.
Ojiri is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday.
Ochuko Ojiri's life away from the cameras
Ojiri runs his own London-based gallery, Ojiri Gallery.
He previously owned an art gallery and vintage shop called Pelicans and Parrots in Dalston, which opened in 2010 but closed in 2021. The store sold contemporary furniture, curated houseware and gifts, specialising in Italian vintage, before it was closed in 2021.
© @AntiqueRoadTrip/X/BBCRevealing what job he would have if he didn't work in the art world, Ojiri previously told the BBC: "I love people who forecast trends; what an incredible job. You’re literally looking into the future, deciding what you’ll eat before you’re even hungry. Mind blowing."
