Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
We owe it to Michaela to catch her killers, by lawyer
» Guests ‘hold key to finding the real killers’ » Top defence lawyer says cops bungled inquiry » Family refuse to give up nine years after crime
GUESTS at the hotel in Mauritius where newlywed Michaela McAreavey was brutally murdered hold vital evidence about the case, it has been claimed.
Michaela, 27, the only daughter of Tyrone GAA boss Mickey Harte, was killed while on honeymoon with her husband John McAreavey in 2011.
She died in their hotel room when it’s believed she disturbed a burglary.
Her body was discovered in the bathtub at the luxury five-star Legends Hotel by her distraught husband John.
Within 24 hours, police had arrested two hotel workers in connection with the killing.
Room attendant Avinash Treebhoowoon and floor supervisor Sandip Moneea were charged and then acquitted after a high-profile trial on the holiday island during the summer of 2012.
The McAreavey family has campaigned to have them tried again. The country’s former Attorney
General Rama Valayden, who represented Moneea, said investigators need to interview those who were staying at the hotel at the time of the murder again as he believes they hold the key to the killer being caught.
Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Mirror from Mauritius, Mr Valayden said: “I am still investigating and I firmly believe the two accused are innocent.
“The police have blundered the whole inquiry which led to dissipation of evidence. The police are fooling everybody. I have requested on several occasions for the State to offer a reward for any information which might lead to the arrest[s] of the real culprits.
“I am reiterating to the Prime Minister the need to issue a hefty reward which will encourage people to come forward.
“The police must contact all the clients of the hotel who were neighbours of Mr and Mrs Harte. “The neighbours will be vital and will shed new light on the case. I believe we owe the truth to Mrs Harte.”
The initial investigation following the murder turned up no hard evidence – no DNA or fingerprints or implicating the two accused.
During the trial, it emerged a number of key witnesses were never questioned, while some pieces of crucial evidence were ignored.
In evidence it was also claimed by Mr Moneea and proven in phone records that he was on the phone to his sister at the time Michaela is believed to have been strangled.
The only evidence against the two men had been the testimony of a third suspect who turned state witness. There was outrage in 2012 when a newspaper in Mauritius published pictures of Michaela following her brutal murder.
The country’s Sunday Times newspaper, which has no connection to the publications of the same name in Ireland or the UK, used crime scene photographs of the hotel room where Mrs McAreavey was killed.
Pictures used included a front page photo of Michaela’s body as well as close-up pictures of her injuries.
Earlier this week, Michaela’s widower, who has since remarried, blasted a “new inquiry” being
launched into her murder as “bulls**t.” He linked the announcement to a deal signed two weeks ago between the holiday isle and newlycrowned Premier League champions Liverpool.
The 35-year-old criticised the deal when it was unveiled.
He highlighted his campaign for justice for Micheala and tagged the club in social media posts to make them aware of his concerns.
John wrote: “I note the Mauritius Government has launched a ‘new’ police investigation into Michaela’s murder. This comes one week after I questioned their partnership with @LFC.
“Perhaps people will now understand the type of bulls*** I have had to put up with for so long.”
In 2017, he returned to the island to offer a reward of €50,000 for information on his wife’s killer but so far his appeal has failed to generate any new leads for the inquiry.
Following his trip, he opened up about how he was “learning to live” with the grief of Michaela’s death.
Speaking at the time, John said: “As the years have passed it appears that the unofficial policy has become one of out of sight, out of mind.
“But we have no intention of just slipping out of mind or sight.
“Michaela deserves justice and we intend to get it. We should not have needed to make this very painful return journey.”