Tob Cohen Killing: Appeals Court Judge Sankale Faces Murder Charges

Police are set to press murder charges against Appeals Court judge Sankale ole Kantai.

Justice Sankale was arrested in Mombasa on Friday and was taken to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters in Nairobi for questioning over the murder of Dutch tycoon Tob Cohen.

He spent Friday night at Muthaiga Police Station and was released on police bond on Saturday pending arraignment in court on Tuesday, February 25th.

Sankale is said to be close to Tob Cohen’s widow Sarah Wairimu, who is the prime suspect in the murder of her husband.

Detectives said the two were in constant communication and the judge allegedly coached Wairimu on what to say as investigations into the killing of the businessman were underway.  Their communication allegedly began way before Cohen disappeared and later found dead.

Speaking to Daily Nation, Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti said there was enough evidence to charge Justice Sankale with murder.

“We are definitely charging him with murder. We have established a prima facie case and we are sure it can stand in court,” said Kinoti.

“It is self-telling. What we are tracing is involvement as far as 1999. For a murder charge, what to look for is whether there is a motive. In this one, there was a motive by the judge.”

A recent report by Daily Nation suggested that Justice Sankale and Wairimu may have been in a romantic relationship if short messages they sent to each other through the phone were anything to go by.

Cohen, who had lived in Kenya for over 30 years, was found dead on September 13th, 2019, nearly two months after he went missing. His lifeless body was discovered inside an underground water tank at his home in Nairobi’s Kitisuru estate.