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A Mombasa court has brought to an end an 11-year legal process into the mysterious death of British national and billionaire Harry Roy Veevers, closing an inquest that failed to determine how he died.
Delivering his ruling, Senior Resident Magistrate Hon. David O. Odhiambo said the court could not establish the cause of Veevers’ death due to conflicting forensic reports.
He also pointed out the advanced state of decomposition when his body was first examined.
Due to the level of decomposition and the conflicting reports by pathologists, the government chemist, and other experts, the cause of death remains unknown, and as such, nobody can be called to answer to any charge.
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The Story of Billionaire Harry Roy Veevers
Veevers died in February 2013 and was buried within days in a Muslim cemetery in Mombasa without a post-mortem examination or police involvement.
However, his quick burial sparked a dispute within the family.
His sons accused his long-time partner, Azra Parvin Din, and her daughters of rushing the burial to conceal the true cause of death.
Additionally, they claimed their father might have been poisoned for financial gain and successfully petitioned the court for an exhumation later that year.
The exhumation led to forensic tests in Kenya and the UK, but the results only deepened the mystery.
Sixteen witnesses, including family members, investigators, and forensic experts from both countries, testified during the inquest.
Consequently, some tests detected traces of cyhalothrin, a pesticide, in Veevers’ remains, while others found none.
Experts warned that the reliability of the results was undermined by the condition of the remains after months in the ground and possible contamination during handling.
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Case Outlives Court Magistrates
The court also noted procedural lapses in the investigation, including gaps in the chain-of-custody documentation for key evidence.
The inquest was first ordered in 2013 and had passed through the hands of several magistrates over the years.
Therefore, the process saw numerous adjournments, expert testimonies, and competing theories, but eventually ended without the answers the family was looking for.
Magistrate Odhiambo acknowledged the strain on those involved, praising the patience of the family and the dedication of judicial officers, prosecutors, and investigators.
He also commended the media for following the case closely for more than a decade.
“This court appreciates the patience and resilience of all parties. However, without conclusive proof, the law cannot assign blame,” he said.
Veevers’ remains have been stored at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary for 11 years, six months, one week, and five days.
The court ordered that they be released to the family for reburial at a site of their choice, once mortuary fees are paid.
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