Kenyan Wife of Missing Dutch Tycoon to Face Murder Charges

The Kenyan wife of missing Dutch tycoon Tob Cohen is set to face murder charges following his mysterious disappearance in July.

On Thursday, the prosecution pressed murder charges against Sarah Wairimu but the court directed that she undergo a mental health test before taking plea.

Ms. Wairimu is alleged to have killed the billionaire businessman on the night of 19th and 20th, July 2019 within Nairobi County jointly with others not before the court, according to the charge sheet.

Her lawyer, Phillip Murgor objected the charging of her client, arguing that there was no complete charge before the court.

Lawyer Murgor submitted that there was nobody of the deceased adding all documents must be served to the defense before his client undergoes mental assessment.

“We want the evidence that supports the charge,” Murgor said.

The prosecution, however, said there were witnesses who needed to be protected, adding that they can charge without the body of the deceased.

The matter will be mentioned on September 16th.

Cohen, a tour and travel tycoon who has lived in Kenya since 1987, is reported to have gone missing between July 19th and July 20th this year. 

Before his disappearance, Cohen and Ms. Wairimu were embroiled in a bitter divorce case involving a multi-million-shilling property.

On July 12th, 2019, the Dutch tycoon filed an assault case against his estranged wife, where he cited continuous harassment and denial of his conjugal rights.

“On February 5, 2019, Sarah Wairimu Kamotho stormed in our client’s home office and threw a glass of water aimed at the face of our client and threatened him,” read court papers filed by Musyoki Mogaka & Co. Advocates on behalf of Mr. Cohen.

Speaking outside the court on Thursday, Cohen’s sister Gabrielle Van Straten said the family is hoping to get justice.

“The police have been working quite hard and taking the matter seriously, in the meantime we hope the period that we will be in the country that we will find all the answers that we need,” said an emotional Gabrielle.

She said Cohen loved Kenya and he never wanted to go back to his home country – Netherlands.

“Cohen loved this country, he was fond of it, and he promoted and invested largely in the golf and Safari industry,” she said.