A HOTEL room cleaner suspected of being involved in Michaela Harte’s murder in January has become the key witness in the state’s case against two men who allegedly killed her, a Mauritian court has heard.
Raj Theekoy (31) left Mapou district court a free man on Monday after prosecutors told the magistrate they had withdrawn charges against him after he agreed to give evidence against murder accused Avinash Treebhoowoon (29) and Sandip Mooneea (41).
Michaela Harte, daughter of Tyrone county football manager Mickey Harte, had been honeymooning at Legends Hotel in the northeast of the Indian Ocean island when she was found murdered in her room by husband John McAreavey. Mr Theekoy was charged with conspiracy to commit murder during the early part of the investigation.
The charge was linked to his initial reluctance to divulge to police that he saw the two main suspects, colleagues of his at the exclusive hotel, leaving Ms Harte’s room at about the time she died.
It is alleged Mr Treebhoowoon and Mr Mooneea murdered Ms Harte after she walked in on them robbing her room.
Mr Theekoy’s decision to become the state’s main witness was welcomed by Insp Ranjit Jokhoo who told The Irish Times he believed his evidence would strengthen the case against Ms Harte’s alleged killers.
“We have gathered a great deal of evidence against Treebhoowoon and Mooneea, and the testimony supplied by Theekoy will strengthen the case further. In addition, DNA evidence will be given directly by the lab to the DPP when it is finalised,” he said.
Insp Jokhoo said a preliminary inquiry would be held before the magistrate at Mapou district court in the near future. “This is a formal inquiry in which all the potential witnesses give evidence under oath, and the magistrate decides, based on what she hears, whether the suspects should face trial by jury at a higher court. This case has been fast-tracked and things are moving quickly.”
In a further development on Monday, a fourth suspect, Legends security officer Dassen Narainen (26) had a provisional charge of conspiracy to commit murder reduced to conspiracy to commit theft. Mr Narainen allegedly helped to supply the magnetic room key card used to gain access to the couple’s room.
Mr Treebhoowoon and Mr Mooneea, who both claim to be innocent, will appear in court tomorrow for a bail hearing.
Within days of his being arrested in January, police claimed Mr Treebhoowoon admitted his involvement in the murder, but he now says he only confessed because police interrogators tortured him into doing so.
According to Mr Treebhoowoon’s barrister, Ravi Rutnah, the latest developments show the state’s case against his client is “crumbling”. “What we are now seeing is the initial theories the police had [originally there were five accused] are crumbling. There are now only two main suspects and the case is based on one tainted confession.
“Other than this, there are no independent confessions,” he said.