Madam Speaker, let me from the very outset point out to the House, that there had been serious allegations in the public, including the press and social media, with regard to potential installation and use of equipment for sniffing the internet traffic to and from Mauritius at the Baie Jacotet Cable Landing Station. The former Chief Executive Officer of Mauritius Telecom, Mr M. S., had during the live radio programme ‘Au coeur de l’info’, on Radio Plus, on 01 July 2022, publicly made allegations to the effect that a foreign team had been allowed to make interventions on the SAFE Cable and which acts might constitute a threat to National Security, and violation of the fundamental rights of expression as enshrined in our Constitution. These allegations have seriously affected the image of Mauritius Telecom which owns the Station, and have also tarnished the image of Mauritius both locally and internationally. Madam Speaker, I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that, following the allegation on the radio programme, the former Prime Minister made a statement to the Police on 11 July 2022 in respect of a case of ‘Diffusing false news’ against Mr M. S. intimating that, at no moment, he had given instructions to the latter or Mauritius Telecom to allow any foreign party or Telecom Operator to install or use equipment to enable sniffing, interception, monitoring or recording of internet traffic to and from Mauritius and/or countries in the region. Furthermore, the Police subsequently received four other complaints following that allegation. These cases have been referred to the Central Criminal Investigation Department for investigation as they relate to the same facts and the circumstances as the case reported by the former Prime Minister on 11 July 2022. In the course of Police investigation, between the 11 July 2022 to 03 February 2025, twenty-three persons were interviewed in connection with the cases and their statements were recorded. As of 10 April 2025, no person has been arrested in connection with these cases. Surprisingly, no one had been before.

34 The inquiry is going on and I am setting up, I should say, a National Crime Agency which I mentioned before and which will enlist the services of foreign investigators to shed light into such high-profile cases.

Thank you. Yes, hon. Second Member for Vieux Grand Port and Rose Belle, Mr Seeburn! AIR MAURITIUS LTD – FINANCIAL SITUATION (2014-2024) – LOSSES INCURRED & CAPITAL INJECTED