The widow of Dutch tycoon Tob Cohen has claimed he was murdered and dumped in a septic tank at their home while she was being held in custody. In a petition challenging her prosecution over Cohen's murder, Sarah Wairimu claimed that the businessman was murdered by people who are well known but enjoying the protection of officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
“My husband was murdered by people who wanted to grab our Sh500 million matrimonial home in Kitisuru. They had me arrested on August 28, 2020, then colluded with investigators to implicate me after planting his body in a septic tank while I was in custody,” she swore.
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Through lawyer Philip Murgor, Wairimu is also contesting Cohen’s Will, which denied her opportunity to inherit his multi-million shilling estate. Murgor stated that the purported Will was subjected to expert analysis that concluded it was a forgery.
“The purported Will that did not leave her anything was fraudulently procured. It was done by powerful forces who want to grab her matrimonial home. It is so unfortunate that she is being depicted as a stranger in her own home,” Murgor said.
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Cohen’s Will was read to his family a few weeks after his mutilated body was discovered by homicide detectives in their Kitisuru home on September 11. At the time, Wairimu was being held at Muthaiga Police Station over his disappearance. The Dutch businessman bequeathed 50 per cent of the matrimonial home to his sister Gabrielle Straten and the remaining half to her two children. He also bequeathed the family business and Sh100 million cash in his bank account to his sister, Sh50 million to his brother Bernard Cohen.
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But Wairimu wants the court to stop the registrar of births and deaths from issuing Cohen’s death certificate to his sister and relatives, claiming that they are likely to disinherit her from the investments they made jointly. Wairimu in her affidavit denied kidnapping, assaulting or killing her husband, saying they had lived together for 29 years. She swore that Cohen had developed a severe drinking problem and whenever business was low, he would threaten to sell the home forcing her to place a caveat that the house was not for sale.
