Man cleared of McAreavey murder seeks damages

One of the men cleared of murdering Michaela McAreavey is seeking compensation from the authorities in Mauritius, it was revealed tonight.

A lawyer for Avinash Treebhoowoon, 32, confirmed legal proceeding are under way claiming his arrest was not based on reasonable suspicion because basic matters were not properly investigated.

They are also alleging the arrest was arbitrary, his detention illegal and that he was tortured and deprived of his rights.

Michaela, 27, daughter of the Tyrone GAA manager Mickey Harte, was murdered in her honeymoon room at the Legends Hotel in January 2011.

Treebhoowoon and a second hotel worker, Sandip Moneea, 43, were found not guilty of the murder last July.

They were arrested the day after Michaela was found strangled in a bath by her husband John McAreavey.

Treenhoowoon’s lawyer Sanjeev Teeluckdharry said tonight that papers had been lodged with the State.

He claimed the prosecuting authorities had rubber stamped the police probe even though the island’s major crime investigation team had failed to carry out a basic inquiry.