The Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala has convicted and sentenced four individuals, including former government officials and businessmen, for their involvement in the fraudulent acquisition of land within the Lira Central Forest Reserve.
Geoffrey Omara, former Physical Planner and Senior Land Management Officer at Lira District Local Government, was fined two million shillings or sentenced to four years in prison. Joseph Ocen Alwong, another former official, received a fine of one million shillings or a two-year prison term.
Businessmen Lawrence Okello and Joel Okwir were also convicted. Okello was fined 6.4 million shillings and Okwir 5 million shillings, with each facing two years in prison if they fail to pay the fines.
The charges included abuse of office, fraudulent procurement of a certificate of title, conspiracy to commit a felony, altering boundary marks, and illegal occupation of protected land within the Lira Central Forest Reserve for commercial purposes.
The convictions followed a plea bargain agreement in which the accused pleaded guilty. Together, they were ordered to pay fines totaling more than 14.4 million shillings. In addition, all four individuals were barred from holding public office for the next ten years.
As part of the agreement, Okello committed to returning the fraudulently obtained land title to the Commissioner of Land Registration for cancellation.
The case dates back to 2018, when Omara forged approval documents from the Physical Planning Committee for a leasehold application in the name of Mark Aliro, a person who did not exist. At the time, Ocen Alwong irregularly certified the forged documents while serving with the Lira Municipal Council.
Investigations revealed that Okwir forged a National Identity Card in the name of Mark Aliro, allegedly Okello’s son, and used it to fraudulently process a freehold title for land at Plot 4A, Station Road, Railways Quarters A, which is part of the forest reserve. These activities took place between April 2018 and July 2020.
Between November and December 2020, Okello conspired with Okwir to transfer the land title from the fictitious Aliro to himself. The transfer involved forged documents submitted to an official in the Ministry of Lands.
Further court documents show that between September 2020 and October 2022, Okello altered the boundary marks of the forest reserve and cleared the land to construct and operate a fuel station without permission.
Omara had previously been convicted twice for the illegal sale of government land in Lira. Investigators reported that Okello repeatedly ignored stop orders issued by the Ministry of Water and Environment, allegedly with the backing of political figures in the area.
In a separate incident, Okello was arrested in December 2024 for constructing another unauthorized fuel station in Pece Swamp, located in Bar-dege Division, Gulu City.
The development violated environmental and social impact assessment conditions set by the National Environment Management Authority. He was later released on bail by the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Makindye.
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