The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Human Rights lawyer, Nicholas Opiyo is in the custody of the Special Investigations Division-SID for his alleged involvement in money laundering and other related malicious acts.
“We would like to confirm the arrest of lawyer Nicholas Opio, by a joint task team of security and financial intelligence on allegations of money laundering and related malicious acts”, the police said in a statement on its Facebook page on Tuesday evening.
Adding that, “The investigations are progressing well and any new development will be communicated in due course.” Plain clothed security operatives picked up from Lamaro restaurant in Kamwokya, a Kampala suburb where he was having lunch with some of his colleagues.
Witnesses said the operatives handcuffed the lawyer and placed him in a saloon vehicle before speeding off. Uganda Law Society-ULS has condemned the illegal arrests and detention of its members.
Pheona Wall, the ULS president said they continue witnessing their members being abducted and kept incommunicado similar to the way Opio was picked up.
She called for the unconditional release of Opio or his production in court or else ULS takes legal action.
Opiyo heads Chapter Four Uganda, which represents Non-Government Organizations-NGOs whose accounts were frozen by security for alleged terror financing.
Close friends say that by the time of Opio’s arrest, they were planning to look into the November city riot killings resulting from the arrest of the National Unity Platform-NUP presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu.
“He has been at loggerheads with the government over a number of human rights abuses going on in this country so am not surprised of his arrest,” said a lawyer. Adding that “All those cases are made-up. The government thinks that he is working for foreign interests.”
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