Police Denies Knowledge About Eddie Mutwe’s Alleged Violent Abduction
A renowned Lira Businessman Okello Lawrence and former Lira City Physical Planner Omara Geoffrey have been arraigned in court by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) working in collaboration with the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution, on charges of abuse of office, fraudulent procurement of certificate of title and conspiracy to commit a felony.
The duo who were on Tuesday remanded till May 6, 2025 were also charged with altering boundary marks, clearing and occupying a forest reserve for commercial purposes.
Prosecution alleged that Omara Geoffrey, while serving as the Lira City physical planner extracted a forwarding letter dated June 12, 2018 to the Secretary Lira District Land Board, indicating that the physical planning committee had approved the application for grant of a leasehold title on Lira Forest Reserve whereas not.
He went ahead to fraudulently process and procure a title on the Lira Central Forest Reserve which was transferred to Okello Lawrence. Omara has been convicted twice on several charges related to the sale of government land in Lira City/District.
Okello went ahead to destroy part of the forest reserve and deposited murram to drain it in order to construct a filling station.
The Ministry of Water and Environment notified Okello that he was encroaching on a forest reserve and attempted to block him from constructing the petrol station thereon, which he ignored and went ahead with the construction because, it is alleged, he was working under backing from top politicians in the district.