Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations arrested Gordwins Agutu who blew the whistle on the Kemsa Covid-19 kits scandal.
Agutu was taken into custody on Wednesday, September 30, after he was accused of being part of a gang which allegedly impersonated EACC and KRA officers to abduct a businessman in Nairobi.
The court heard that Agutu alongside two other suspects demanded a Ksh2 million bribe from the businessman.
"Using two Prados with registration numbers GKB 070B and KCY 280Q, the three suspects; Godwins Otieno Agutu, Alex Mutua Mutuku and Ken Gichovi Kimathi, alongside three others who are still at large, stormed the victim's offices within Nairobi on September 26, 2020, after which they took his laptop and left," a statement from the DCI stated.
Investigators added that three days later, the suspects reportedly abducted the said businessman, bundled him in a vehicle baring government number plates and drove him to Lutheran House along Nyerere road.
"The victim was forced to contact his family members to get the amount, but only managed to raise Ksh 500,000 where the suspects escorted him to his house at Westlands in Nairobi and took the cash," the police statement read.
Authorities discovered that the GK registration number used on the Toyota Prado belonged to a Land Rover Discovery attached to the Judiciary.
The suspects were arrested at the Lutheran House and arraigned in court on Wednesday when the DCI asked to keep them in custody to complete investigations.
In his defence, Agutu stated that he was an anti-corruption crusader serving as the CEO of the Network Action Against Corruption (NAAC).
During a past interview with Kenyans.co.ke, he stated that he worked as an undercover investigator after questions were raised about his possession of staff IDs from the DCI, KRA and Kenya Pharmacy and Poisons Board.
He explained that as the director of the NAAC, he had partnered with security agencies to investigate an issue at the Kenya Ports Authority in the past.
"There was some contraband sugar that was seized at the port. We received reports that some of the sugar was being released in small quantities, and went to investigate. The badges helped to get access to information for the purposes of investigations," he explained.
Agutu added that those involved got wind of his operation and decided to out him a conman and impostor.
