Socialite Asiimwe Christian, popularly known as Don Chris, has reportedly been arrested after returning to Uganda, more than a year after going into hiding amid investigations into allegations that hundreds of job seekers were defrauded of more than Shs2 billion through his travel company, Skypins Tours and Travel.
Asiimwe, who served as the company’s director, was reportedly arrested on Wednesday and detained at Munyonyo Police Station in Kampala.
A video circulating on social media appeared to show Asiimwe in handcuffs following his reported arrest.
However, police had not issued an official statement confirming the arrest by Thursday morning.
Asiimwe is said to have returned to Uganda quietly after spending more than a year outside the country.
The allegations against Skypins involve more than 300 job seekers who reportedly paid between Shs3.5 million and Shs10 million after being promised employment opportunities in countries including Canada, the United Kingdom, Qatar, Dubai and Luxembourg.
According to reports, the victims were initially directed to Skypins offices at Haruna Mall in Ntinda, where most of the payments were made. The company later moved to Kitende along Entebbe Road, making it difficult for some victims to locate its offices.
The alleged scheme later came under police investigation after victims raised complaints over the promised jobs.
Adding to the concerns, police reportedly established that Skypins Tours and Travel had never been licensed by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development to operate as an external labour recruitment agency.
The reported arrest of Asiimwe could now provide investigators with an opportunity to establish how the alleged scheme operated, trace the money paid by victims and determine whether other individuals were involved.
