Suspect confesses to murder in Mauritius of Scots businesswoman
ONE of the suspects in the murder of a Scot found suffocated in her home in Mauritius has reportedly admitted the killing.
News of Ravish Rao Fakhoo’s alleged confession came as a teenager also appeared in court following the death of Janice Farman, who was from Clydebank, in the Indian Ocean nation.
It is believed she was killed in front of her adopted, autistic son who subsequently raised the alarm.
Yesterday, 18-year-old Anish Soneea was charged with the 47-year-old’s murder.
Janice had been planning to return to Scotland before her death
This came three days after Fakhoo and Kamlesh Mansingh – both 25 – appeared at the same court in the country's capital, Port Louis, accused of the same crime.
The BBC World Service correspondent in the paradise island, Yasine Mohabuth, said: “Ravish Rao Fakhoo confessed to the murder, incriminating Kamlesh Mansingh and Anish Soneea.”
Axcel Chenney, who works for the newspaper L’Express in Mauritius, told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “Fakhoo, the first one to be arrested, admitted the crime yesterday, shortly after the arrest of a third suspect, Soneea.
“The police have yet to communicate on how it happened but some of the information from the investigation has leaked.”
He added: “Janice’s mother has arrived in Mauritius and we know that she is planning to repatriate Janice’s body to Scotland for her funeral.
“Janice had been planning to return to Scotland before her death.”
As is usual on Mauritius, it is expected that a reconstruction of the crime will be carried out next week at the murder scene.
Ms Farman, who died on Friday, July 7, moved to the country after her first husband went there to work.
She was the managing director of PECS (Mauritius) Ltd, a privately owned group of companies providing data services.
A spokeswoman for the British Foreign Office said: “We are assisting the family of a British woman following her death in Mauritius and are in contact with the local authorities.”