Covid millionaires 'whistleblower' Agutu granted Sh100,000 bail

Godwins Agutu, his driver Alex Mutuku and Personal Assistant Ken Kimathi have been granted Sh100,000 bail each or an alternative bond of Sh 500,000 in a fraud case.

Agutu, the CEO of Network Action Against Corruption, was one of the alleged whistleblowers in the Covid-19 millionaires exposé.

Senior Resident Magistrate David Ndungi granted them bail on Friday, ruling that there were no compelling reasons to detain them.

It is alleged that on September 25 at Hytech Investment Shop along Kombo Munyiri road with intent to defraud falsely presented themselves as KRA employees to Vijay Patel the Proprietor of the shop.

The three denied abducting Patel with the intent of confining him.

They were charged with a third count of obtaining Sh500,000 from Patel by falsely pretending that they were in a position to assist him to reduce the tax he owes to KRA.

Police further alleged that Agutu forged a KRA staff card and a work ticket number for an official government vehicle registration number GKB 070B.

Agutu is also accused of stealing a car number plate valued at Sh 7,000.

He also denied converting a personal car into a Government vehicle.

"The vehicle the respondents were using purported to be a GK motor vehicle is untrue and the investigators have so far established that the said number plate belongs to the Judiciary a Range Rover and the initial number of the motor vehicle in question is KCV 788Y belonging to view Cape Tours and Car Hire and hence if they are released they are likely to interfere with investigations to unearth how the said GK number plate was obtained and fitted in a civilian motor vehicle," the court was told.