Police have confirmed the arrest of city lawyer Nicholas Opiyo saying he has been detained on charges of money laundering and related malicious acts.
According to sources, the human rights lawyer was picked from a Lamaro restaurant in Kamwokya yesterday evening. He was nabbed by plain clothes men who were averred to be security operatives. Opiyo was handcuffed, bundled into a tainted van and driven to an unknown location.
“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,” Police said in a statement.
“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.”
Opiyo has been part of the group of the National Unity Platform (NUP) lawyers who are investigating individual security officers who were involved in the 18th and 19th November riots where at least 52 Ugandans were shot dead by security operatives.
The riots advanced from the arrest and detaining of the NUP Presidential Candidate Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert aka Bobi Wine. The lawyers are also working to establish where several NUP members are detained from.
He was arrested with three other lawyers; Herbert Dakasi, Anthony Odur and Esomu Obure.
