For the second day, the late Dutch businessman Tob Cohen’s home in Kitisuru was transformed into a high court, with two witnesses taking the stand.
One of the witnesses, a scene-of-crime officer, testified in court that the crime scene had been changed after it was handed over to the primary suspect, Sarah Wairimu, just last month.
However, once the meddling was discovered, the order was vacated.
Wairimu suffered another setback when the court denied her release application, citing claims that she harassed a police officer engaged in the case.
Three witnesses have taken the stand since Thursday.One of them, a retired scene-of-crime police officer who had previously worked as a photographer, provided dramatic details about the discovery.
The officer described how an underground water tank was discovered, originally hidden beneath a mound of branches and old furniture.
“After we went close he showed there was something underneath that heap, after removing the heap so we could see part of the water tank,” Frank Anunda, one of the witnesses, claimed.
The officer went on to explain that the tank’s top cover had been sealed shut, but additional inspection revealed another lid inside.
This was ultimately unlocked, exposing a disturbing scene. What shocked the investigators was the obvious tampering with the tank’s system.
The floater, which regulates water flow, had been tampered with, causing water to stop flowing into the tank.
It was in this altered tank system that they found Cohen’s body, which had been covered twice among other items, including plastic sheets, further concealing the grim discovery.
“These are the close-ups showing clearly the legs and the hands how they were tied, yani walikaza sana miguu na mikono,” Anunda added.
“We noticed also after removing the red material on the head there was another material, they used something like a screen to cover the eyes.” Anunda escorted the court through the site, from the subterranean water tank to the residence, where authorities suspect visitors were present during Tob Cohen’s disappearance.
He testified that there was apparent meddling with the murder scene, which contrasted sharply with the situation in 2019 when authorities recovered the missing tycoon’s death.
Notably, Sarah Wairimu, the key suspect in the case, was granted custody of the property only last month.
“This place was not looking like this. It seems like they want to plant some things, but during that time, there wasn’t and the second thing is the place did not have a fence,” the witness pointed out.
“All the witnesses who have testified before me have told the court that there have been alterations to the property, there are additions things that have been added to the property that were not there during the time of the offence,” Judge Diana Mochache ruled.
“The property is handed to OCS Spring Valley Police Station, the OCS shall not have access to this premises without my orders.”
Sarah Wairimu, who has been in detention since her arrest in January, received another setback when the judge denied her bond application.
In her ruling, Justice Diana Mochache referenced an incident on Friday morning, where a police officer testified that Wairimu had intimidated her three times during the ongoing trial.
“The accused needs first to show remorse which she has not done before this court can vacate its orders,” the judge stated.
“I will direct that an affidavit be sworn by the accused person and filed in court by the advocate and the accused shall commit she shall not intimidate, threaten or in any way approach the prosecution witness.”
The prosecution has lined up 78 witnesses it hopes will strengthen its case and secure a conviction against the main suspect, Sarah Wairimu, the widow of the late Tob Cohen.
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