On Sunday night, NTV ran an investigative piece on how Covid-19 billions had been stolen by unscrupulous businessmen and state officials.
At the centre of the exposé is one Gordwins Agutu, the director of Network Action Against Corruption (NAAC), an anti-corruption lobby group.
In the recent times, Agutu has been in the headlines pushing for quick action in anti-graft cases. His most recent media appearance was in July, when he EACC to investigate allegations of corruption at the Kenya Ports Authority.
Unknown to many, Agutu was arrested in 2017 in a fraud case, where he was in possession of several job cards belonging to different government bodies.
Read: KEMSA Unable To Account For Ksh43 Billion Covid-19 Funds
He was arrested on September 27, 2017 by officers from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) at Kiboro School in Kayole Division, after members of the public he allegedly duped pounced on him. The Daily Nation published the story on September 28, 2017.
Agutu was found with a Kenya Police Service identity card, which showed that he worked for the Criminal Investigations Department, a Kenya Revenue Authority Staff Card and another belonging to the Kenya Pharmacy and Poisons Board.In the fake Kenya Police Staff Card Gordwins identified himself as a Senior Superintendent of Police SSP.
At the time of his arrest in 2017, the Criminal Investigations Department he purported work for had changed its name to Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
The case never saw the light of the day, and it is not clear how it was concluded.
On their website, the body indicates that NAAC became fully operational in 2019 and collaborates with the Agencies, National Investigation Bureaus’, EACC, DCI and DPP and Units working on corruption related issues.
“NAAC is responsible for Investigations and preventing Corruption, economic Crimes and educating the public on the dangers of corruption. NAAC does not have any prosecution powers but collaborates with Attorney General, DPP, DCI, and EACC. All cases are forward after investigations for prosecution,” the body says.
NAAC says it receives funding in form of aid for its operations.
By Kahawa Tungu
