Joran van der Sloot, the Dutch teenager who was recorded by a hidden camera confessing that American teenager Natalee Holloway died while with him on a beach in Aruba, is now a formal suspect in her murder according to the Aruban public prosecution office, reported ANP news service on Monday evening.

Natalee Holloway disappeared on the last night of her holiday on the island of Aruba in May 2005.
In the secret recording which was screened on Dutch tv on Sunday night, Van der Sloot said that he had telephoned a friend who had disposed of her body in the ocean.
Speaking on the Nova tv show on Monday evening, Van der Sloot’s lawyer Bert de Rooij said his client is prepared to report to the police and to make a statement to the prosecution department in Aruba.
Earlier on Monday the examining judge on Aruba said he would not issue a warrant for the arrest of Van der Sloot who has been arrested twice in connection with the case in the past. An appeal against this decision has been made and a ruling expected later this week, said ANP.
The Dutch media also reported on Monday evening that police have searched two addresses in Arnhem where Van der Sloot has been living. One is believed to be the home of his grandmother. The searches were on the request of the Aruban prosecution department.
Joran van der Sloot’s confession, watched by almost half the Dutch population, was shown on a tv programme on Sunday night presented by crime reporter Peter R de Vries. The show, or fragments from it, has also been broadcast in the US.