TWO MEN charged with murdering Michaela Harte in Mauritius last January should be sent forward to stand trial, as there is enough evidence against them, the magistrate overseeing the preliminary inquiry into the crime ruled yesterday.
Ms Harte, the daughter of Tyrone football manager Mickey Harte, was murdered on January 10th last in room 1025 at the exclusive Legends Hotel in Grand Gaube, where she was on honeymoon with husband John McAreavey.
Magistrate Sheila Bonomally delivered her findings at Mapou district court following a month-long inquiry designed to see if enough evidence existed against accused Avinash Treebhoowoon (30) and Sandip Mooneea (41) to bring them to trial.
The inquiry’s findings were based on the evidence given to the court by 11 witnesses connected to the case.
However, Ms Bonomally added the court’s decision was a “temporary one”.
She explained to the accused, both employees at Legends when the tragedy occurred, that the court “did not condemn” them on a charge of murder.
“This court has a probable presumption that you [Mr Mooneea and Mr Treebhoowoon] are guilty. This decision is temporary until the director of public prosecutions takes a stand to either maintain the charges of murder and go for trial at the assizes [a local court], or reduce the charges of murder and still go for trial at the assizes or strike out all the charges against you,” Ms Bonomally said.
After the brief hearing yesterday, the families of the accused expressed their feelings about the possibility of their loved ones facing a murder trial before a jury at the assizes court of Mauritius.
Reshma Treebhoowoon, Mr Treebhoowoon’s wife, said she was dismayed by the magistrate’s decision, as she felt her husband’s trial should have ended at the preliminary inquiry stage.
“My husband is innocent. It is very hard that we are now contemplating a trial at the assizes. I wished it had ended here.
“I will keep on supporting my husband and I firmly believed that he is innocent,” she said.
The wife of Mr Mooneea said the police inquiry and the preliminary inquiry were both a joke.
“The real culprit is out having a good time while innocents will probably face murder trial at the assizes,” she said.
The director of public prosecutions’ decision as to whether the murder trial will be lodged at the supreme court is expected to be known in the near future.
In some quarters of the judiciary, it is believed it could only be a matter of weeks before the decision is made public.