Lawyer Murgor records statement over threats claim

Lawyer Philip Murgor has recorded a statement with the police claiming that former Gatundu North MP Patrick Kariuki Muiruri threatened him at the burial of Dutch businessman Tob Cohen on Tuesday afternoon.

The case was reported at the Parklands Police Station and booked under OB50/25/9/2019. 

Murgor’s lawyer said he reasonably feared for his safety claiming Muiruri’s threats were both verbal and gesticulated. 

In his statement, Murgor said the former MP threatened ‘to deal with him outside’ and even uttered expletives.

Defend client

“Given the unexplained leading role, interest and positions taken publicly by Muiruri in the case facing my client, Sarah Cohen, I take this outburst as a threat and an attempt to intimidate me as an advocate for Ms Cohen,” he said.

But Muiruri dismissed Murgor’s claims and accused him of engaging in sideshows instead of defending his client in court.

“Those are side shows that he wants to introduce. Let him deal with the issue of defending his client and if he sees things are thick for him in court, let him not invoke my name,” he said.

Murgor said Muiruri could have been reacting to an earlier incident where he requested the daughter of Muiruri to leave the cemetery as the funeral was agreed to be a private ceremony for the family only.

“I have, therefore, taken the decision to record my complaint with yourself and ask that you immediately commence investigations regarding the intentions of and the threats by Muiruri,” he wrote to the Parklands OCS.

Leave country

The bad blood between the two moved a notch higher, just a day after Wairimu, in apparent reference to Muiruri said that she knew the people who killed her husband.  

“Even as we stand here, many of the ones responsible for Tob’s death are here in sheepskin, believe you me, your days are numbered,” she said during the burial.

The Cohen family had tried in vain to block Wairimu from attending the burial ceremony. When it became clear that Wairimu would attend the burial, Gabrielle van Straten, her husband and son abruptly left the country, without any word.

The family was being hosted by Muiruri at his Nyari residence.

Police yesterday confirmed that the matter had been reported and investigations had been launched