KAMPALA – Police have said human rights lawyer Nicholas Opiyo has been arrested on charges of money laundering and related malicious acts.
In a statement, police said he is being held at the Special Investigations Division in Kireka, near Kampala.
“We would like to confirm the arrest of Lawyer Nicholas Opiyo, by a Joint Task team of Security and Financial Intelligence, on allegations of money laundering and related malicious acts. The investigations are progressing well and any new developments will be communicated in due course. He remains in our custody at the Special Investigations Division,” police said.
His arrest comes days after Financial Intelligence Authority Executive Director Sydney Asubo had asked the Director of Public Prosecution [DPP] to take legal proceedings against the officials of the said NGOs under section 17A [1] of the Anti-Terrorism [Amendment] Act 2015.
Mr Asubo explained that they had received intelligence reports from one of the Security agencies indicating that Uganda Women’s Network [UWONET] and the National NGO Forum were involved in financing terrorism activities. FIA had also accused NGO forum of using its bank accounts in Stanbic Ban Uganda Limited to facilitate terrorism.
