THE DIRECTOR of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Mauritius has said he is satisfied with the police investigation into Michaela McAreavey’s murder, but pledged lessons would be learned after two men were cleared of the crime this week.
Former hotel workers Avinash Treebhoowoon (32) and Sandip Moneea (43) were unanimously acquitted of the murder of Ms McAreavey, who was strangled while on honeymoon in Mauritius in January last year.
In his first comments on the verdict, DPP Satyajit Boolell said he respected the decision taken by the nine-member jury, but found it difficult to understand. “It’s very easy to say ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty’, but I wish I knew why they said ‘not guilty’.”
Mr Boolell said he was in a “state of shock” after the two acquittals and that his concerns were shared at “the very highest echelons” of government.
“We are in a state of shock as to why we have this verdict when we felt that we had established our case beyond a reasonable doubt,” Mr Boolell told The Irish Times. “In the very highest echelons of this country, they are all concerned.”
During the eight-week trial, defence barristers were scathing of the police inquiry, alleging officers beat one of the defendants into signing a fabricated confession and failed to carry out basic investigative work.
Mr Boolell said that while police could have been “more thorough” about certain aspects of the case, he was satisfied overall with their inquiry. “I reject totally these easy, cheap allegations against the police,” he said.
On the prospects of reopening the inquiry, the DPP said the authorities were looking at whether there were circumstances that could justify that. “Even though this is a setback, we must not tell ourselves this is the end of the matter,” he said. “If these two people did not kill Michaela Harte, then who killed her?”
The DPP said the Mauritian authorities would learn lessons from the case. Yesterday, he contacted the police commissioner to say all future confessions should be video- or audio-recorded, and that the state’s forensic services should be strengthened.
During his trial, Mr Treebhoowoon claimed a confession he signed three days after the murder was fabricated by police in front of him and his barrister.
He alleged he had been beaten repeatedly, whipped on the soles of his feet and had his head plunged into water so many times that he vomited blood.
The prosecution claimed that Ms McAreavey, a 27-year-old teacher from Co Tyrone, was murdered by the two defendants when she returned to her room to collect biscuits and found them stealing.
Mr Boolell insisted the state’s case was strong. He said details in Mr Treebhoowoon’s alleged confession were “entirely corroborated” by later postmortem findings and that three doctors found no external injuries on Mr Treebhoowoon.
He also cited the evidence of prosecution witness Raj Theekoy, a third employee at Legends Hotel, who said he saw the two defendants walking from the direction of the McAreaveys’ room shortly after hearing a woman scream in pain inside the room.
“We cannot say that the police carried out a shambolic investigation,” he said. “We had a confession made in the presence of counsel. Then we had an independent witness. It’s not as if our evidence was flimsy or totally shallow.”
Members of the McAreavey and Harte families are expected to travel home to Ireland this weekend. Following the verdict, their spokesman said there were “no words which can describe the sense of devastation and desolation” the families felt.
Mr Boolell urged them not to lose hope. “I know they are praying for justice. Justice will have to be rendered to them eventually,” he said.
At home, political leaders on both sides of the Border expressed solidarity with the two families yesterday.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he was “absolutely heartbroken” for them and recalled a pledge last year by Mauritian prime minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam that justice would be done and seen to be done.
“A beautiful young Irish woman was murdered and her husband was out there for the last seven or eight weeks facing the consequences of a trial which has brought nobody to justice,” Mr Kenny said.
In Belfast, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said there was a responsibility on the authorities in Mauritius to deliver justice for the Harte and McAreavey families.
Social network sites calls for boycott
Social networking sites were alive with backlash following the ‘not guilty’ verdict in the Michaela McAreavy trial.
A Facebook group called “Boycott Mauritius” was set up on Thursday and has almost 5,000 members.
The group calls on members to “show your disgust at the actions of the island of Mauritus” and to boycott the island.
The comments included:“Shame on the Mauritius Supreme Court. Shame on the Defense counsel. Avoid this country at all costs. There is no justice in this country.”
Another contributor said: “People may feel angry, emotional and dismayed but we could boycott every country in the world for its failings in the judicial/legal system. Certainly the pressure should be put on the Mauritius government to sort its own procedures out.”
Several group members urged people to boycott the holiday island and slammed the decision of the Mauritius judicial system, while others paid wishes to the McAreavy and Harte families.
People also took to a Mauritius Facebook page where there was a mix of comments with some calling for perspective.
One person wrote: “While I agree that this investigation and trial appears to have been shambolic from start to finish I am also embarrassed and ashamed by some of the inarticulate and abusive comments posted by Irish people here”
“The decent people of Ireland understand that the decent people of Mauritius are as appalled by this crime as we are, The idiots posting abuse on this page don’t represent us,” another wrote.
Twitter hashtags following the news of the ‘not guilty’ verdict included #BoycottMauritius and #JusticeforMichaela.
One Twitter user (Ronan Lynch) voiced his dismay at the verdict stating “Sad state of affairs. Flawed investigation from start to finish. Heart goes out to the McAreevy/Harte families #BoycottMauritius
Another (Colum Quinn) said “Irish people and anyone who cares should #BoycottMauritius and their tourism. They have let down an innocent girl.”
