Mauritian Newspaper Director Arrested Over McAreavey Photos

The director of the Mauritian newspaper that published photographs of Michaela McAreavey’s body, has been arrested.

A spokesman for the Mauritius Police said Gen Imran Hosany was detained at 7.30am at his home in the capital Port Louis on Wednesday morning.

He is currently being questioned in relation to the publication of the photographs in the Mauritian Sunday Times at the weekend. This publication has no connection to Irish or British publications with the same name.

The newspaper, a small title founded late last year, carried a black-and-white picture of the Co Tyrone teacher, taken after she was murdered, on its front page last weekend. It also published a number of other images showing her injuries and the hotel room where her body was found.

The publication of the photographs drew an angry response from the Government and was described by the McAreavey and Harte families as “reprehensible and repugnant”.

The newspaper yesterday apologised for publishing the photographs with Gen Hosany saying the motive for doing so was not sensationalism but rather “to recall that such a heinous crime remained unpunished”.

Acting on orders from the police commissioner, detectives yesterday searched the premises of the newspaper. No arrests were made and no items were recovered, said a police spokesman.

(H)