Human Rights lawyer Nicholas Opiyo charged and remanded

By witnessradio.org Team

Kampala – Uganda – Police have released on bond, the four lawyers abducted by security operatives as human rights lawyer, Nicholas Opiyo charged with money laundering and remanded.

Opiyo was on December, 22nd 2020 at 2:45 PM picked up from Lamaro restaurant located in Kamwokya together with other lawyers including Herbert Dakasi, Anthony Odur, and Esomu Simon Peter Obure and Hamid Tenywa before being handcuffed and detained at the Special Investigations Division in Kireka.

However, on December, 24th 2020, the four co-accused were released on police bond and asked to report back to the Special Investigations Division in Kireka on December 29, 2020.

Before the release of the four lawyers, Nicholas Opiyo was arraigned before the Chief magistrates court in Nakawa and charged with money laundering contrary to sections 3 ( c ), 116, and 136 of the Anti -Money Laundering Act.

The prosecutor told the court that the human rights lawyer received $340,000 through an Absa bank account belonging to Chapter Four Uganda, an organization he heads, knowing that at the time of receipt, the funds were proceeds of crime.

He was later remanded to Kitalya government prison until December,28,2020.
Opiyo is the lawyer representing two NGOs including the Uganda National NGO Forum and the Uganda Women’s Network whose accounts were recently frozen by the Financial Intelligence Authority over alleged involvement in moving money to finance terrorism activities.