Sarah Wairimu Kamotho, the widow of the late Dutch businessman Tob Cohen, is once again back in court, this time facing fresh charges of giving false information to the police and swearing a false affidavit about her passport.
In a statement by the ODPP, Wairimu denied the two charges read out to her while appearing before Principal Magistrate Zainab Abdul at the Kibera Law Courts.
The prosecution alleges that on February 20, 2023, she knowingly misled police officers at Munyange Police Station in Othaya, Nyeri County, by claiming that her passport had been lost.
According to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Wairimu made the report to Chief Inspector Mercy Riungu, prompting the officer to issue her with a police abstract to facilitate the replacement of the supposed missing passport. Investigations later revealed that the passport had not been lost.
In a second count, prosecutors said Wairimu went further to swear a false affidavit before Advocate Muchiri wa Gathoni at Pamki House in Nyeri Town, confirming the loss of the passport, even though she allegedly knew it was still in her possession.
Prosecutor Samson Ng’etich, who represented the DPP in court, told the magistrate that the case was about “honesty and accountability,” adding that misleading law enforcement officers undermines the justice system.
“The accused person knowingly and willfully gave false information to a police officer and swore an affidavit based on untruths,” he said.
The court was told that the false report had triggered unnecessary official processes, including the issuance of a police abstract and an affidavit, both of which were obtained under false pretenses.
Wairimu, who remains remanded at Lang’ata Women’s Prison, is still facing a separate and high-profile murder case linked to the death of her husband, Tob Cohen, in 2019, a case that has kept her in the public spotlight for years.
Magistrate Abdul directed that the case be mentioned at a later date for further directions.
