The widow of Dutch tycoon Tob Cohen has renewed her battle with her estranged in-laws over a 400 Million-shilling inheritance.
Sarah Wairimu, who was left penniless by her husband in his Will, is asking a Nairobi court to revoke and nullify a grant of letters of administration awarded to her brother-in-law.
Based on Cohen’s last written Will, the award was given to the tycoon’s elder brother Bernard Cohen on May 18, 2021.
Ms. Wairimu filed the succession lawsuit in December 2019 and received a Special Limited Grant of Letters of Administration for the estate’s preservation.
Bernard, however, filed a separate application — Petition for Probate of Written Will — on August 31, 2020, and acquired the letters of estate administration, pending the outcome of her application.
The widow claims that she was not given a copy of the petition and that there was a collaboration between Bernard’s brothers and third parties in her case for revocation of documents provided to him.
Her attorneys contend that the court proceedings that resulted to Bernard’s grant are flawed in substance since Bernard filed his case without submitting Cohen’s death certificate while she had a pending application seeking issue of Cohen’s death certificate.
Tob’s last Will, dated April 30, 2019, is at the center of the property dispute, which Ms Wairimu opposes and believes is a fabrication.
Ms. Wairimu claims she submitted the Will, together with samples of known Tob signatures and initials, to a document examiner named Emmanuel Kenga, a retired commissioner of police, for forensic inspection and comparison.
Gabriel Hannah Van Straten (50%) received half of the couple’s matrimonial property in Lower Kabete, while Seth Van Straten (25%) and Sharon Van Tienhoven Cohen received the other half (25 per cent) according to Business Daily.
