Tob Cohen's widow Sarah Wairimu allowed to attend his burial next week

 Tob Cohen's widow Sarah Wairimu Cohen with her lawyer Philip Murgor at the Chiromo Mortuary yesterday during the postmortem. [Collins Kweyu, Standard]

The late Dutch tycoon Tob Cohen will be buried next week on Monday, September 23 at a Jewish Cemetery along Wangari Maathai Road, lawyers Phillip Murgor and Cliff Ombeta have confirmed.

The two lawyers said that the burial plans which will be conducted by the Jewish religious leaders and will proceed as planned subject to acquisition of court order.

The lawyers have also said that the ceremony will be private and the attendees will comprise of only close family members, not even press will be allowed at the event.

“Sarah Cohen and Gabriel Van Straten (Cohen) will participate as widow and sister respectively,” said Murgor.

Phillip Murgor represents Mr Cohen’s widow Sarah Wairimu while Cliff Ombeta represents the late tycoon’s sister Gabriel Cohen, who came into the country from Amsterdam.

The family members have requested the law enforcers to help in facilitating the process so that the burial ceremony can go on smoothly.

“The DPP, DCI, and prison authorities are requested by both Sarah and Gabriel to facilitate this compromise arrangement so that the late Tob Cohen can be accorded a dignified send as proposed,’’ read part of the statement co-signed by Mr Murgor and Mr Ombeta.

Lawyers representing the family of murdered Dutch tycoon Tob Cohen, Cliff Ombeta (right) and Danstan Omar address the press at the Chiromo Mortuary yesterday where the postmortem for the murdered Dutch tycoon was to take place. [File, Standard]

Yesterday, both Gabriel and Sarah were allowed to be part of the postmortem process where Government Chief Pathologist Johanssen Oduor led the procedure, to investigate the circumstances of his death.

Oduor said that that the findings of the autopsy will be tabled in court in adherence to the court order that barred making public the cause of Cohen's death.

The Standard reported that Sarah had pleaded with the court to allow her to take part in the process, after which she was brought in from Lang’ata Women’s Prison, where she is remanded.

The development now settles yesterday’s deadlock where Gabriel and Sarah fought for the rights to dispose of Cohen’s body.

Sarah was arrested as a suspect linked to Mr Cohen’s death. However, the investigating authorities are yet to finish the probe.

The other suspect in police custody is Peter Karanja, who is a former husband of Gilgil MP Martha Wangari.

Sarah's lawyer, Mr Murgor who is the former Director of Public Prosecutions had objected to the idea of her taking plea arguing that there has to be tangible evidence warranting that.

Tob Cohen's sister Gabrielle and her husband Roy Strathen at a Milimani court during a mention of her Sarah Wairimus' murder case. The court was told that she had not taken a mental examination. [George Njunge/Standard]

The tycoon’s body was found in an underground water tank in his home in Kitisuru by homicide detectives attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations on September 13.

The 71-year-old went missing on July 20, 2019, only to be found dead months after the disappearance.

His family members back in the Netherlands raised the issue with the Dutch embassy in Nairobi after his phones went silent prompting intensified search.