IGG Arrests OPM Commissioner, Five Senior Officials and a Pakistani national over alleged Extortion.

The office of the Inspectorate has arrested a commissioner and five other senior officials from the Office of the Prime Minister over allegations of running an extortion racket targeting asylum seekers seeking refugee status in Uganda.

The officials are accused of demanding thousands of dollars from vulnerable applicants in exchange for processing and approving their refugee claims. In a significant anti-corruption operation, the IGG arrested the Commissioner for Refugee Management in the OPM Patrick Okello, together with five other officials and a Pakistani national, over alleged extortion during the registration process of refugees in Uganda.

Other officials include; Mr. Asiimwe Douglas, Assistant Commissioner Refugee Management, Mugabe Geoffrey, Senior Settlement Commandant, Ekwap Noel, Head Information Technology, Bweme Henry, Registration Officer, and Nadiope Arnold, Refugee Status Interviewing Office, and Mr. Zafar Ahamad, a Pakistani.

According to preliminary investigations, Mr. Zafar Ahmad is alleged to have served as the link between OPM officials and refugees, playing a central role in coordinating transactions that were believed to have formed part of the extortion scheme.

The arrests were preceded by a search operation conducted by the IGG investigators, during which critical documents were retrieved to support the investigations. The operation underscores the government’s continued efforts to combat corruption and uphold integrity in public service delivery. The suspects have since recorded statements at the IGG Offices and are expected to assist investigators as inquiries into the alleged extortion network continue.