A former hotel worker acquitted of the murder of Irish honeymooner Michaela McAreavey has been charged in connection with the case in Mauritius.
Sandeep Mooneea had been taken in for questioning by officers investigating the case on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, police said he had been provisionally charged with “conspiracy” and was due to appear in court.
Last month, another former hotel worker – ex-security guard Dassen Narayanen – was charged with conspiracy to commit theft in relation to the McAreaveys’ hotel room.
Mrs McAreavey (27) was strangled in her room at the Legends Hotel in Mauritius on January 10th, 2011.
The teacher, who had married husband John 10 days earlier, was attacked after she returned to her room alone and disturbed a burglary.
No-one has been convicted of murdering the daughter of GAA manager Mickey Harte.
A spokesman for the Mauritius Police Force said on Wednesday: “Mooneea has been arrested following his interrogation and will appear Court today under a provisional charge of conspiracy.”
Narayanen (37) from Royal Road, Plaine des Papayes on the Indian Ocean island, was remanded in custody in March charged with conspiring with another hotel employee to steal a magnetic key card to the room occupied by Mrs McAreavey and her husband John to commit larceny.
Mooneea and another man were found not guilty of Mrs McAreavey’s murder after a high-profile trial on the holiday island in summer 2012. He has always denied wrongdoing.
Mooneea and his co-accused in the trial, Avinash Treebhoowoon, worked as cleaners in the hotel at the time of the killing.
Narayanen, who has also denied wrongdoing, has been admitted to hospital several times for mental health issues during his detention and his lawyer has criticised the way he has been treated by police.
Barrister Vikash Teeluckdharry wrote to the prime minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth, on Tuesday, outlining 10 specific concerns about his client’s detention.
The letter, seen by the PA news agency, said: “I fervently call for your intervention in order to better protect the integrity of the criminal procedure in Mauritius, particularly the police procedures in the absence of the modern safeguards, which are available in more advanced countries such as Britain.”
Mr Teeluckdharry outlined further concerns about the handling of the overall investigation. He said he would be sending a copy of the letter to Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister, Naomi Long.
Police in Mauritius have previously denied mistreating Narayanen in custody.
