Tob Cohen murder trial: Detectives reveal forged letter and attempts to manipulate slain tycoon’s Will

A forensic document examiner from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has revealed stark discrepancies in the signatures found on the will of the late Dutch businessman Tob Cohen, as well as several falsified withdrawal letters.

Taking the stand as the prosecution's 27th witness at the Kibera High Court, John Muinde stated that multiple documents associated with the case showed clear signs of manipulation.

Notably, letters sent to authorities requesting the withdrawal of an assault complaint against Cohen's widow, Sarah Wairimu, were proven not to have been authored by the murdered tycoon. Strikingly, investigators found the letters were prepared after Cohen had already died.

Muinde walked the court through his forensic comparison between Cohen's authentic will and a printed version recovered from Wairimu's possession. He testified that the disputed documents showed evidence of physical alteration and failed to match the businessman's verified handwriting.

"The questioned documents are photocopies with evidence of manipulation on the enclosed part of the pencil," Muinde testified, adding that handwriting analysis revealed obvious dissimilarities and tremors compared to Cohen's established signature.

The forensic expert also dismissed separate letters addressed to the Parklands and Spring Valley police stations, as well as Cohen’s lawyer, which sought to dismiss criminal assault charges against his wife. Forensic analysis concluded that these documents were forged several days after Cohen's demise.

The court also heard from Fatuma Adi Ali, the former Kilimani DCIO and current Director of Planning at DCI headquarters, who was among the first officers to interview Wairimu following Cohen's reported disappearance.

Fatuma testified that Wairimu claimed to have had breakfast with her husband on the morning of July 20, 2019, before he supposedly travelled abroad, despite forensic findings indicating Cohen was murdered the night before on July 19.

"She stated that they shared breakfast, Tob Cohen apologised, and he promised to drop the divorce case before leaving for the airport," Fatuma told the court. "However, when I asked her to provide the airline he was traveling with, she was unable to do so."

Fatuma's testimony drew sharp pushback during cross-examination by defence lawyer Parvin Bowry, who challenged her claim that Wairimu had voluntarily shared the contact details of two other women associated with Cohen.

"You are lying that the accused gave you the numbers of Cohen's women. You did not get the number from the accused," Bowry argued.

Fatuma stood by her statement: "I am not lying to the court. You can gather intelligence from a suspect or a witness. She provided those numbers when she was confiding in me."

Former Gigiri Sub-County Commander Richard Mwangi and former government pathologist Peter Ndegwa also gave evidence during the session. The murder trial is scheduled to resume on Thursday.