This archive report was first published on 26 September 2019.
On September 26, 2019, a court hearing in the Sarah Wairimu Cohen murder case took an unexpected turn when her lawyer, Philip Murgor, found himself under scrutiny. The court had initially scheduled the session for Sarah's plea taking, but it was Murgor who became the focus of attention.
According to Cliff Ombeta, Philip Murgor was appointed as a public prosecutor on January 19, 2019, for a period of 2 years. However, Murgor had not disclosed his ties to the DPP's office before the court, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest.
Murgor defended himself by stating that he had tendered his resignation to the DPP after being idle for 3 months without assignments. He claimed that this resignation made him eligible to represent Sarah Wairimu.
However, the court is now required to establish whether Murgor's ties to the DPP's office pose a conflict of interest. If found to be a state prosecutor, Murgor risks being disqualified from representing Sarah Wairimu, forcing her to find a new lawyer.
The court has adjourned Sarah's plea taking for 5 more days to investigate this matter further. Sarah Cohen, the main suspect, will now take her plea on October 1, 2019.
