A retired Senior Superintendent of Police, Richard Mwangi, has told the court how Sarah Wairimu repeatedly contacted him in 2019, complaining about her troubled marriage with her husband, Dutch businessman Tob Cohen, months before his disappearance and murder.
Testifying in the murder trial of Sarah Wairimu at the Kibera High Court, Mwangi, who was then the Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) in Gigiri, said Wairimu initially contacted him claiming she had reported incidents of assault at Spring Valley Police Station but no action had been taken.
Mwangi said he asked Wairimu whether she had made an official report, obtained an Occurrence Book (OB) number, received medical treatment and been issued with a P3 form. According to the former police boss, Wairimu told him she had not done so. He advised her that a properly filled P3 form and an OB report were necessary for police to pursue her complaints.
He also advised her to consider filing for divorce if her marriage with Cohen had become difficult.
Mwangi told the court that he subsequently contacted the OCS at Spring Valley Police Station to establish whether Wairimu had made an official complaint, but the officer was unsure whether an entry had been made in the Occurrence Book. He said Wairimu later called him again, claiming she had reported an assault at Gigiri Police Station and had obtained a duly filled P3 form.
The former OCPD said Wairimu identified Cohen as her husband, leading to his arrest by officers from Gigiri Police Station. Cohen was placed in custody as police prepared the necessary documentation for him to appear in court.
Mwangi further recalled that a lawyer, Judy Thongori, later visited his office seeking information about Cohen’s arrest. He said he explained to Thongori that he had no authority to order Cohen’s release, as that decision fell under the mandate of the Officer Commanding Station (OCS). Mwangi said he subsequently contacted the OCS at Gigiri and informed him about the lawyer’s visit. He later learnt that Cohen had been released from custody following discussions between the lawyer and the police.
The court also heard that Cohen had separately lodged an assault complaint against Wairimu at Parklands Police Station and had undergone medical examination, with a P3 form reportedly completed. Mwangi said he later received a letter on July 22, 2019, addressed to the OCS at Parklands Police Station, indicating that Cohen had withdrawn his complaint against Wairimu.
Towards the end of July 2019, while on leave in Kwale, Mwangi said he read media reports about Cohen’s disappearance and contacted the OCS at Parklands to establish whether he was aware of the reports. He said Wairimu subsequently informed him that Cohen had travelled to the Netherlands to seek medical treatment.
The retired police officer told the court that on September 13, 2019, he received a call from the OCS at Spring Valley informing him that DCI officers had gone to Cohen’s residence in Lower Kabete, although he was not given further details. Mwangi said he proceeded to the residence, where he found DCI officers and other police personnel. Upon noticing his presence, the investigators instructed him to ensure that nobody entered the compound.
He later learnt that Cohen’s body had been discovered inside an underground water tank.
Mwangi said he witnessed the retrieval of the body by a team that included a pathologist. He described seeing the body tied with nylon strings before it was untied. He told the court that Cohen was dressed in blue jeans and a jacket when his body was recovered.
Following the discovery, Mwangi said he was instructed to ensure that Cohen’s residence remained under police guard for 24 hours until further notice.
The body was subsequently escorted to Chiromo Mortuary by officers from Spring Valley Police Station.
