Assistant police commissioner Yoosoof Soopun told the Mauritius Criminal Court today that a man and woman seen in CCTV footage from the foyer of the Legends Hotel had been identified as a holidaying German couple Harald Hoyer and Savarese Graziella.
They were seen at the reception on a security camera the afternoon the Co Tyrone teacher was strangled in her room in the luxury complex.
The footage was filmed just after 3pm on January 10th last year, around 15 minutes after the prosecution claim the daughter of Tyrone Gaelic football boss Mickey Harte died at the hands of two hotel employees.
Former room attendant Avinash Treebhoowoon (31), and floor supervisor Sandip Moneea (42), deny her murder.
The pictures were shown at their trial in a packed Supreme Court in Port Louis.
Around 200 people were inside to see the footage played. Widower John watched from the front row of a crammed public gallery.
After the clip was played Mr Soopun said he was positive the McAreaveys were not seen in the footage.
“I am 100 per cent sure that the couple found at the reception at 15.02 is not the McAreavey couple and I am able to confirm it,” he said.
He produced documentation to the court relating to the German couple, including passport copies.
He said staff working at reception also believed it was the German couple in the pictures.
Judge Mr Justice Prithviraj Fecknah adjourned court for the day after the defence asked for further CCTV footage from the hotel to be produced.
PA