Freed Mauritian cleaner testifies in tragic Irish honeymooner murder case

Read more: Michaela Harte murder suspect walks free after agreeing to testify

Read more: How the Michaela Harte tragedy touched the very soul of the Irish people, even in America

A hotel room cleaner who had been a suspect in the murder of Tyrone woman Michaela Harte had now become a key witness in the case, the court heard.

Raj Theekoy (31) was freed on Monday after prosecutors and the magistrate withdrew their charges. He has now agreed to give evidence against Avinash Treebhoowoon (29) and Sandip Mooneea (41).

The daughter of Tyrone football manager Mickey Harte was murdered, just 12 days after her wedding, while she was on honeymoon with her husband John McAreavey on the Indian Ocean Island of Mauritius.

Theekoy had been charged with conspiracy to commit murder during the early part of the investigation into her death but these charges have now been dropped. It has been revealed that the charge was related to his initial reluctance to divulge the fact that he saw the two main suspects, Treebhoowoon and Mooneea, leaving the couple's suite at the time of the crime.

Inspector Ranjit Jokhoo spoke to the Irish Times about Theekoy's decision to give evidence. He said "We have gathered a great deal of evidence against Treebhoowoon and Mooneea, and the testimony supplied by Theekoy will strengthen the case further. In addition, DNA evidence will be given directly by the lab to the DPP when it is finalized.”

He continued "This is a formal inquiry in which all the potential witnesses give evidence under oath, and the magistrate decides, based on what she hears, whether the suspects should face trial by jury at a higher court. This case has been fast-tracked and things are moving quickly.”

A fourth suspect Dassen Narainen (26), who was originally charged with conspiracy to commit murder has had his charges reduced to conspiracy to commit theft. He allegedly supplied the two main suspects with the magnetic key that allowed them to enter Michaela's bedroom.