A MAURITIAN magistrate yesterday ordered the police complaints bureau to investigate whether one of the men accused of the murder of Michaela Harte was coerced into admitting involvement in her death last week.
Magistrate Bono Mally made her ruling after Avinash Treebhoowoon alleged in court for a second time in a week that police had tortured and beaten him while in custody.
Mr Treebhoowoon is one of four employees from the Legends Hotel in Grand Gaube village charged in connection with Ms Harte’s murder in her hotel room on January 11th.
It was reported last night that a fifth man had been arrested in connection with the murder.
Last week during his first court appearance Mr Treebhoowoon said he was innocent of murder and claimed he had been assaulted while in police custody.
The magistrate ordered a doctor to examine the accused for signs of injury.
A doctor assigned by the police to do the examination later said he could find no injuries consistent with being beaten up.
Shortly afterwards police said that during an interview Mr Treebhoowoon admitted that he and co-accused, Sandip Mooneea, had killed her when she found them trying to rob her room.
Yesterday, however, counsel for Mr Treebhoowoon, Ravi Rutna, came forward with a motion concerning police brutality against his client and asked the magistrate to allow him make a statement in connection with his rights as a suspect. Mr Treebhoowoon explained that after his January 11th hearing he was taken to the major crime investigation team offices in Port Louis, where he was subjected to police brutality for a second time.
“I was undressed and laid on a table. There was a bucket full of water next to the table. Continuously, my head was plunged into the bucket. At the same time, I was beaten up, thus forcing me to confess,” said Mr Treebhoowoon.
Mr Treebhoowoon, a room attendant, and floor supervisor Sandip Mooneea (41), have been charged with murder. Room attendant Raj Theekoy (33) and security guard Dassen Narainen (26) have been charged with conspiracy to murder.
Prosecutors officially charged Mr Narainen with conspiring with Mr Treebhoowoon and Mr Mooneea to commit murder. The security guard was arrested yesterday, one week after his three co-accused. Mr Treebhoowoon and Mr Theekoy have allegedly given confessions to the police in relation to the charges against them. The remaining two men are maintaining their innocence.
The suspects appeared in Mapou District Court yesterday and were remanded in custody until February 8th when they can apply for bail.