A Nairobi court on Thursday, January 16, declined to give Sarah Wairimu Cohen, the widow of slain Dutch billionaire Tob Cohen, the key to her matrimonial home.
The court, however, allowed Cohen to go back to the house under the supervision of Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers to collect her personal effects.
Wairimu had sought to be allowed to collect belongings including clothing, alcohol, electronics, shoes and handbags
Through her lawyer Philip Murgor, Wairimu had in November 2019 applied to have the key to the house returned to her arguing it was not part of the evidence and she was still an owner of the property.
She also claimed that Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) chief George Kinoti had taken away her belongings including cars, shoes and two dogs on September 19, 2019, when officers were sent to guard the house.
In addition, she alleged that the DCI had taken some of her daughter's possessions and interfered with the crime scene.
“On September 13, 2019, Kinoti gave a televised statement at Wairimu’s house and allowed the media and members of the public free access to the home. This led to an interference with the crime scene,” Murgor stated.
Tob Cohen's family through lawyer Cliff Ombeta, however, insisted that according to the will of the deceased, the house did not belong to Wairimu.
Wairimu was arrested on August 28, 2019, following the disappearance of her husband Tob Cohen on July 19, 2019.
She was subsequently charged with murder after Cohen's body was found in an underground water tank at their Kitisuru home.
“The body has been positively identified by family members and it is confirmed that it is Cohen, these people are absolutely heartless. Cohen was murdered in his own residence. It is very unfortunate, but we have the suspects in custody,” DCI Kinoti told journalists gathered at the house on September 13, 2019.
Wairimu pled not guilty to all charges preferred against her.
