BY PHEOBE WANJOHI.
The Chief Executive Officer of Network on Fight Against Corruption Action Godwins Otieno Agutu and two employees of Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) have been charged with obtaining Sh500,000 from a businessman by falsely pretending to be officers from the anti-graft body.
Also charged are Agutu’s personal assistant and a driver, who denied a total of 14 counts levelled against them.
Agutu, Alex Mutua Mutuku, Ken Kimathi Gicovi, Harrison Otieno Ochar and Hdovia Njoroge Mbugua appeared before Milimani principal magistrate Gilbert Shikwe pleading not guilty to the charges.
The charges against them stated that they falsely pretended to be officers from Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and in position to assist Vijay Patel, a proprietor of Hytech Investment shop him in reducing the amount of tax owed to KRA.
It is alleged they asked for Sh 500,000 on September 28, 2020 in Nairobi, from the businessman.
Agutu alone is accused of forging a work-ticket number P495906 purporting it to be a genuine work ticket for an official government motor vehicle registration No. GK.B070B.
Ochar and Mbugua are separately accused of aiding Agutu to commit the offence of extortion by demanding Sh 2 million from Patel and subsequent abduction.
The prosecution alleges that on September 25, 2030 at Hitech shop located along Kombo road the accused introduced themselves to Vijay Patel as officers from KRA and EACC, which they knew was false.
Earlier the prosecution, through Everlyne Onunga, had told the court that the accused had used a government vehicle belonging to the Judiciary.
The magistrate ordered the case to be mentioned on November 18, for the purpose of fixing the hearing date.
All the accused persons are out on cash bail of Sh500,000 pending the determination of the case.
