Man (77) arrested in Antrim over 1985 murder of exiled Seychelles politician

Gérard Hoarau (34) shot dead with a sub-machine gun at his home in west London

A 77-year-old man arrested in Co Antrim on Thursday is being questioned by detectives in London in connection with the 1985 assassination of an exiled politician from the Seychelles.

Gérard Hoarau (34) - an opponent of president France-Albert René, whose regime was installed after a coup in 1977 - was shot dead with a British Sterling sub-machine gun at his home in Edgware in north west London on November 29th, 1985 . He had been living there in exile.

The PSNI said it assisted officers from the Metropolitan Police’s counter terrorism command in arresting the man on Thursday morning under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.

His Co Antrim home was searched and he was then taken to England where is is being questioned in a police station in south London on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.

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Mr Hoarau was wounded a number of times in the front garden of his home on Greencourt Avenue.

A number of arrests have been made in the past in connection with the investigation but nobody has ever been charged with murder.

In 1986, three people were convicted for perverting the course of justice.

“A review of the investigation was initiated in 2016 from which fresh lines of inquiry were established, leading to today’s arrest,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

“The man arrested (on Thursday) has not been previously arrested as part of this investigation.”

Anyone with information in relation to the murder of Mr Hoarau is asked to contact the investigation team at EdgwareMurderAppeal@met.police.uk or call the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.