Mark Ciavarella allegedly poisoned by lover in African Congo where he worked as an English teacher

An Australian teacher working at an international school in Congo was killed when her boyfriend and another man allegedly poisoned her drink, accused of dumping her body in a crocodile-infested river.

Mark Ciavarella, 57, from Leeton in New South Wales moved to the African country six years ago, first working for the American International School teaching English and music and then moving to the French Consular School.

His roommate and lover, Clement Bebeka, has been charged with murder by local police, who are supposed to show a videotaped confession at his trial in the main courthouse of the Brazzaville Palace of Justice.

Mr Ciavarella was reported missing by his brother in Australia on October 26, 2022, after he lost contact and feared something ‘adverse’ had happened in the notoriously dangerous and conflict-ridden country.

She moved to the Congo six years ago in search of adventure and taught at the American International School in the capital Brazzaville (in the photo: the school with a barbed wire fence)

The supposed confession of his roommate, detailed in the daily telegraphincluded a claim that Bebeka came to his unit where he had lived with Mr. Ciavarella since 2016 and found him with another friend.

“He said Mark was going to leave the country and leave us with nothing and he said we needed something to benefit ourselves. He said that he had a solution,” Bebeka allegedly told police in French during the confession.

He said that when Mr. Ciavarella went to the bathroom, the man took out a bottle of poison and poured it into his glass, telling him that they needed his money and bank cards.

“After drinking the poison, he fell asleep and after about 35 minutes he was dead,” Bebeka allegedly said, before adding that he did not intervene to stop the man or warn Mr. Ciavarella as he drank the contents of the glass in front of him. of the.

As the Australian lay dead, Bebeka allegedly said he called a driver friend and the three wrapped the body in a sheet, loaded it into a car, drove to the Congo River and then dumped it over a bridge.

Police in Congo allegedly obtained a confession from Clement Bebeka (pictured), who has been charged with murder under local law.

The Congo River runs on the border between the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (pictured)

Ciavarella’s brother, Darren, told the newspaper that his family is devastated, particularly that his body has not been found.

“If it was an accident or illness, it would be easier to accept, but the fact that he was killed and fed to crocodiles in the sea is killing us,” he said.

He said his brother knew the country was dangerous but was passionate about teaching children and helping, and that he spoke to him the day before he went missing and was excited to return to Australia.

The family wanted him to return sooner, he said, but he had hesitated because of a debt back home that he racked up after being scammed in a fraudulent housing scheme.

The trial will begin in March.

Mr. Ciavarella’s family said he had a big heart and wanted to help the children of the Congo.