Sarah Wairimu Kamotho, who is already facing trial for the 2019 murder of her husband, Dutch businessman Tob Cohen, has been charged with giving false information to a police officer and swearing a false affidavit regarding the alleged loss of her passport.

Appearing before Principal Magistrate Zainab Abdul at the Kibera Law Courts on Friday, Wairimu denied both charges. She remains remanded at Lang’ata Women’s Prison, where she is also awaiting trial for Cohen’s murder.

According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Wairimu allegedly gave false information on February 20, 2023, at Munyange Police Station in Othaya, Nyeri County. The prosecution told the court that she “knowingly and maliciously” informed Chief Inspector Mercy Riungu, the Officer Commanding Station (OCS), that her passport had been lost. Based on this report, police issued her a police abstract —an act the prosecutor now says was fraudulent.

In the second count, Wairimu is accused of false swearing, contrary to Section 114 as read with Section 36 of the Penal Code.

The ODPP claims that on the same day, at Pamki House in Nyeri Town, she appeared before Advocate Muchiri wa Gathoni and swore a false affidavit stating her passport was lost, despite knowing otherwise.

These new charges compound Wairimu’s ongoing legal troubles linked to Cohen’s death.

Earlier this year, the High Court scheduled a hearing on her bail application for June 4, 2025, after the State requested more time to file a response. Her lawyer, Conrad Maloba, argued that Wairimu was not a flight risk and had consistently cooperated with the court process.

However, in February 2025, Justice Diana Kavedza declined to grant bail, ordering that Wairimu remain at Lang’ata Women’s Prison until two key prosecution witnesses testify. The judge cited concerns over potential witness interference and intimidation.

That ruling followed earlier testimony from a police officer who claimed Wairimu had intimidated her on three separate occasions during the ongoing murder trial.

“The accused must first demonstrate remorse, which she has not done, before this court can revisit its orders,” Justice Kavedza stated in her ruling.

The prosecution has lined up 78 witnesses in the Tob Cohen murder case, where evidence details how Cohen’s body was discovered hidden in a cemented underground water tank at his Kitisuru residence.