PETITION FOR A COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO MASS SURVEILLANCE AND PHONE TAPPING IN MAURITIUS

To: The President of the Republic of Mauritius

CC: The Prime Minister, The Leader of the Opposition, The Speaker of the National Assembly, The Judiciary, and The International Community

We, the undersigned citizens of Mauritius, demand the immediate establishment of an independent Commission of Inquiry, chaired by a former judge of the Supreme Court, with the involvement of international forensic investigators such as Interpol or Scotland Yard, into the illegal mass surveillance and phone tapping scandal that has deeply shaken our nation.

WHY THIS PETITION?

The revelations made in the Parliament sitting of 4th February 2025 confirm that mass surveillance and illegal phone tapping were conducted under the previous Government, violating the constitutional rights of citizens, political opponents, journalists, and even business leaders.

The scale of the illegal surveillance is alarming:

Every mobile and landline call, email, and social media activity was intercepted and stored.

Multiple surveillance sites were set up to track individuals and political opponents.

Over USD 110 million was spent on this system, with USD 7.5 million paid annually to a Dubai-based company, Pertsol, for maintenance.

Permanent remote access was enabled, allowing external control, hacking, and data extraction.

Conversations mainly involving members and close associates of the previous Government were leaked, raising serious concerns about who had access to the system and whether it was hacked.

When international experts attempted to investigate, the data was wiped, but recoverable evidence remains.

This is not just an attack on privacy—it is an assault on democracy, human rights, and national security. The people of Mauritius deserve to know the truth and hold those responsible accountable.

WHAT IS THE PRIME MINISTER HIDING?

Despite the shocking revelations, the Prime Minister has refused to set up a Commission of Inquiry. Why?

1. Was he the one who initially authorized the purchase of the phone-tapping equipment?

2. Has he misled Parliament and the nation about the real cost of the surveillance system?

3. Is he protecting those who hacked the system and selectively leaked recordings for political gain?

4. Was the first tapped conversation recorded around the time of the system’s implementation?

5. Was the last tapped conversation recorded before the remote access was removed?

6. Were any phone conversations leaked even after remote access was supposedly removed?

7. Why was remote access given to an external entity, and who was monitoring communications?

8. Which local telecommunications operators were involved, and under what legal framework did they allow this?

9. Who signed the contracts for the equipment, maintenance, and local support?

10. Was the system designed specifically to spy on political opponents, journalists, and businesses?

11. Was data wiped to cover up the evidence before investigators could examine the system?

 

If the Prime Minister has nothing to hide, why is he refusing an independent investigation?

WHY A COMMISSION OF INQUIRY IS NECESSARY

A Commission of Inquiry with full investigative powers and international forensic support must:

Conduct an independent forensic audit of the intercepted data and logs.

Investigate who authorized, implemented, and benefited from the illegal surveillance.

Determine if phone tapping was politically motivated and selectively leaked.

Identify those responsible for hacking the system and releasing conversations.

Establish whether any legal, constitutional, or human rights violations occurred.

Recommend legal action against those responsible and prevent future abuses.

WE DEMAND JUSTICE AND TRANSPARENCY

We, the undersigned, call upon the President to immediately establish a Commission of Inquiry, ensuring that those who violated our fundamental rights are held accountable.

If the Prime Minister refuses to act, it will only confirm that he has something to hide. The people of Mauritius will not remain silent.

SIGN THIS PETITION TO DEMAND A FULL INVESTIGATION AND PROTECT OUR DEMOCRACY!