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Leaked recordings have sparked fears the British High Commission in Mauritius had its phones hacked across the time the UK opened negotiations for the handover of the Chagos Islands.
Audio of obvious discussions between the British excessive commissioner Charlotte Pierre and different political figures were featured on the Mauritian Facebook web page Missie Moustass (Mr Moustache).
The clips are claimed to characteristic a dialog between Ms Pierre and native businessman Ken Arian, chief govt of Airport Holdings, who has just lately welcomed the “decolonisation” of the Chagos Islands.
Sources informedThe Independent that the dialog is believed to have name befell round October or November 2022, that means it’s more likely to have taken place in direction of the beginning of the negotiations over the Indian Ocean islands.
At one level, Ms Pierre may be heard saying: “I don’t have a prime minister at the moment”, including: “You know what, I can say it now but we haven’t had a prime minister for two months”.
This was across the time Liz Truss was pressured to resign as prime minister, not lengthy after she had initiated the Chagos talks.
The Chagos difficulty is delicate as a result of secretive joint UK-US air base on Diego Garcia island. The deal struck by the federal government permits the UK to retain the power for the following 100 years, however there are issues the settlement will open up the islands to Chinese interference.
Murvind Beetun, an investigative journalist primarily based in Mauritius, informed The Independent a recording of one in every of his telephone calls was leaked to the Facebook web page.
He added: “The Facebook page has been brought down but the videos are still there on TikTok.”
Karen Walter, deputy chief editor of l’categorical in Mauritius, stated the Facebook web page featured what seemed to be leaked phone conversations and WhatsApp messages from two former prime ministers, the present opposition chief and his predecessors, and different people in key constitutional roles.
She informed The Independent: “Notably, the leaks also involve a diplomat from the British High Commission in Mauritius.”
The Informus podcast in Mauritius additionally highlighted the alleged tapped conversations. So far not less than 5 journalists are additionally thought to have been focused, together with Mr Beetun.
Outgoing prime minister Pravind Jugnauth denied his administration was behind the suspected leaks during a youth political rally of the Alliance Lepep in his constituency, Quartier-Militaire–Moka. He denounced the recordings as “fabricated conspiracies and falsehoods”.
He claimed synthetic intelligence is “being used to manipulate voices and create fake conversations”.
However, a number of victims of the telephone tapping have claimed the recordings are real.
Mr Beetun informed The Independent: “My conversation which was leaked yesterday reflects the truth, it’s not fabricated by AI. It was a conversation which dates back to 9 August 2022.”
Shakeel Mohamed, a senior barrister and former chief of the opposition in Mauritius and a candidate within the upcoming election for the Labour Party of Mauritius, stated a number of telephone calls he had made were additionally contained within the leak.
He stated: “I came across many posts on Facebook and on TikTok of several conversations, and I came across two of them where I am speaking to the former prime minister and I was also speaking to her president of Labour in Mauritius. They were actual conversations that took place.
“For one thing, AI replication in creole, using that as a defence is preposterous. That doesn’t exist, that technology doesn’t exist in creole – it doesn’t exist with such precision.
“And I can confirm it is my voice, I recall that conversation. There are other conversations with judges and politicians in Mauritius. People I know, they have confirmed to me they were real.
“I am shocked and I am embarrassed as far as our reputation is concerned. This is not Mauritius.”
The officer of the commissioner of police in Mauritius additionally issued a warning that telephone tapping is illegitimate.
A press release stated: “The police remind the general public that it is illegal to tap and disclose using a communication or telecommunication device.”
The warning suggests the tapping could have come from native amateurs, including: “An enquiry has been initiated with a view to authenticating the voices and identifying the malicious sources on Facebook.”
The Independent has approached the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for remark.
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