On March 7, 2025, the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU), in collaboration with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), arraigned Okwir Joel, a businessman in Lira, before the Lira Chief Magistrate Court on charges of attempted felony, uttering false documents, and making false documents. The accused, while serving as the chairperson of the area land committee in Railway Division, is alleged to have fraudulently obtained a leasehold certificate of title for a forest reserve located in Railways Quarters A village, Railway Division, Lira Municipality.
During the investigation, it was revealed that in September 2021, Okwir Joel, using his influence as the chairperson of the area land committee, submitted land application forms for a piece of land in Railways Quarters A village, Railway Quarters Parish, Railway Division, Lira Municipality. He falsely claimed to be the customary owner of the land, even though it is designated as part of the forest reserve according to the urban development plan of the Lira Municipal Council.
Among the documents he submitted with his land application was a minute extract from a purported physical planning committee. This document indicated that his application had been approved under minute LMC PPC 083/12/2020 from a meeting dated December 20, 2019, which was not true.