KAMPALA. The Inspectorate of Government (IGG) has arrested six senior officials from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) following allegations that they ran a lucrative extortion ring targeting vulnerable asylum seekers.
The suspects-all attached to the Department of Refugees under the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees, are accused of soliciting between $5,000 and $10,000 from asylum seekers in exchange for granting them refugee status. Among those apprehended are high-ranking bureaucrats, including Commissioner Patrick Okello and Assistant Commissioner Douglas Asiimwe. The identities of the remaining four suspects had not been officially disclosed by press time Thursday evening .
According to sources, the high-stakes operation commenced at approximately 3pm on Thursday when a team of IGG investigators launched a surprise raid on the department’s offices. For several hours, the building remained under lockdown as investigators combed through records. During the sting, officials confiscated mobile phones belonging to senior staff, alongside 12 laptops and scores of classified files believed to contain vital evidence linking the suspects to the fraudulent scheme.
Following a grueling afternoon of searches, the six officials were formally placed under arrest at around 7pm and transported to an undisclosed location for intensive questioning.
Insiders reveal that the operation was triggered by a torrent of whistle-blower complaints submitted directly to the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees. The petitions alleged that a syndicate within the department was systematically bypassing the legally established process, weaponizing the application system to extract exorbitant bribes from desperate individuals.
The illicit scheme reportedly targeted asylum seekers fleeing conflict and political instability from nations including Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Syria, Burundi, and Rwanda. Instead of processing the applications based on humanitarian merit, the officials allegedly treated the legal documentation process as a pay-to-play enterprise.
The Inspectorate of Government has indicated that investigations are ongoing, with more arrests expected as digital forensics teams analyze the seized laptops and communication logs. The suspects are expected to face charges related to abuse of office, corruption, and extortion.