This archive report was first published on 1 October 2019.
On September 24, 2019, the murder case of Dutch businessman Tob Cohen took a new twist as the prosecution sought to bar Sarah Wairimu's lawyer, Philip Murgor, from representing her in the case.
The prosecution, led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecution Catherine Mwaniki, claimed that Murgor's appointment as a state prosecutor had not been revoked, despite his resignation letter dated March 7, 2019.
Justice Stella Mutuku postponed the plea hearing for the third time to make a ruling on the application, citing the need to clarify Murgor's status in the case.
Wairimu has been in custody for 35 days in connection with Cohen's murder, and the case has been marred by frequent legal battles between the prosecution and the defense team.
The prosecution has also filed contempt proceedings against Murgor and Wairimu for allegedly commenting on the case outside court during Cohen's burial.
The defense team has filed a counter-contempt application against the Directorate of Criminal Investigations for allegedly leaking information related to the murder case to the media.
Justice Mutuku directed both parties to file their responses, with the matter set to be heard on October 15, 2019.
