•DPP said several things emerged during the reviewing of the file which were unclear leading to the withdrawal of the murder charge.
•But the biggest blow to the collapse of the case is attributed to the now famous Gachomo affidavit
Image: FILE
The Director of Public Prosecutions has defended his decision to drop murder charges against Tob Cohen’s widow Sarah Wairimu.
In a press statement released on Thursday, the DPP said he reviewed the murder file and recommended for the matter be registered as an inquest but not murder.
In the statement signed by Jacinta Nyamosi, DPP said several things emerged during the reviewing of the file which were unclear leading to the withdrawal of the murder charge.
But the biggest blow to the collapse of the case is attributed to the now famous Gachomo affidavit in which he retracted earlier affidavits that had implicated Sarah in the murder.
“The recent withdrawal of the affidavit by John Gachomo dealt a fatal blow to the case. Moreover, it raised serious concerns about the integrity of the whole process of investigations,” he said.
Nyamosi said in 2020 they wrote two letters directing the investigating team to cover 35 areas of investigation which to date have not been covered.
“The statements recorded by the police indicate that several cops in civilian clothes visited the compound of the late Cohen and the identity of the said officers remains undisclosed,” Nyamosi said.
The prosecution also says that he even directed that the sub-county police commander Gigiri be interrogated on his interaction and relationship with Sarah but that has also not been done.
She also says that the alleged forgery of the transfer of shares belonging to the late Cohen has not been exhausted, thus raising questions about who may have perpetrated the same.
Nyamosi said the above concerns led to the DPP making a decision that a public inquest must be held so that it uncovers the persons behind the gruesome murder of the late Cohen.
“The public inquest will provide a platform for any person with information that may be useful to unravel the murder to avail the information through a judicial process.”
Nyamosi further says that the fact that a public inquest is to be held does not mean that the case is closed.