Nicholas Opiyo Charged With Money Laundering After Bank Account Credited with $340,000

The Executive Director of Chapter Four, Mr Nicholas Opiyo, was on Thursday afternoon charged at Nakawa Chief  Magistrates Court with money laundering and neglect to submit annual returns to the NGO Bureau and remanded till December 28, 2020.

The charge sheet prepared by the Uganda Police Force and signed by Elly Womanya, the Director Special Investigation Directorate indicated that, "Opio on October 8, 2020, at ABSA Bank Garden City branch in Kampala district, acquired $340,000 through ABSA Account Number 60040780445 in the names of Chapter Four Uganda, knowing at the time that said funds were proceeds of crime."

Chief Magistrate, Douglas Singiza denied him bail arguing that he has no jurisdiction to hear his case.

The magistrate noted that the charges against Opiyo, can only be heard by the High Court. He was remanded to Kitalya Government prison.

On Wednesday (December 23, 2020) Police Spokesperson, Fred Enanga, noted that they had deepened their investigations into money laundering charges preferred against Opiyo who was arrested alongside three colleagues in Kamwokya on Tuesday (December 22, 2020) afternoon.

Enanga did not disclose what they had recovered from the search they had conducted at Opiyo's office and home but noted that their forensic teams were analyzing exhibits.

"We would like to further inform the public that the Task Team actively investigating Lawyer Nicholas Opiyo and others for violating anti-Money laundering rules has deepened its investigations into the preliminary findings".

In addition, our Forensic teams are analyzing exhibits that have been recovered so far.

The suspects still remain in our custody at the Special Investigations Division (SID) Kireka.