Kenya: Cohen Postmortem Delayed Amid Dispute Over Autopsy Lead

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Nyakundi Report

Newsroom 2 min read

Primary source Kenyan Digest archive

This archive report was first published on 18 September 2019.

Published on September 18, 2019, a postmortem examination on the body of Dutch tycoon Tob Cohen is set to take place on Wednesday at the Chiromo mortuary in Nairobi, Kenya.

The autopsy will be led by Government Chief Pathologist Johansen Oduor, following a dispute over the original lead pathologist, Peter Ndegwa. Ndegwa was accused of making conclusive statements at the scene of the crime, which could have prejudiced the process.

Two independent pathologists, Prof Emily Rugena and Prof Andrew Gachii, will also be present during the autopsy, representing Cohen's family and key suspect Sarah Cohen, respectively.

The autopsy aims to establish the cause of Cohen's death and the Post-Mortem Interval, the time elapsed since his death occurred.

Earlier, a CT scan was conducted on the body at Kenyatta National Hospital to determine the nature of fractures and any other injuries that may have been missed during the postmortem.

Defence lawyers had objected to the original autopsy schedule, citing concerns over Ndegwa's involvement. The defence team is also seeking to have Sarah Wairimu Cohen, who is in police custody, allowed to identify the body ahead of the autopsy.

However, Cohen's family lawyer, Cliff Ombeta, expressed concerns over the delay, citing the family's Jewish faith, which requires burial within 36 hours. The family has also overstretched their finances due to their prolonged stay in hotels.

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