UK diplomat's Chagos call published to Facebook page

Leaked recordings have sparked fears that the British High Commission in Mauritius had its phones hacked around the time the UK opened negotiations for the handover of the Chagos Islands.

- MILLIE COOKE & DAVID MADDOX

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has confirmed that police in Mauritius are investigating after audio of apparent discussions between the British high commissioner Charlotte Pierre and other political figures was featured on a Mauritian Facebook page of an account called Missie Moustass (Mr Moustache).

The clips are claimed to feature a conversation between Ms Pierre and local businessman Ken Arian, the chief executive of Airport Holdings, who has recently welcomed the “decolonisation” of the Chagos Islands. Sources told The Independent that the conversation is thought to have taken place in around October or November 2022, meaning it is likely to have occurred towards the start of the negotiations over the Indian Ocean islands.

At one point, Ms Pierre can be heard saying: “I don’t have a prime minister at the moment,” adding, “You know what, I can say it now but we haven’t had a prime minister for two months.” This was around the time Liz Truss was forced to resign as prime minister, not long after she had initiated the Chagos talks.

The Chagos issue is sensitive due to the secretive joint UK-US airbase on Diego Garcia (the largest island in the Chagos archipelago). The deal struck by the government allows the UK to retain the facility for the next 100 years, but there are concerns that the agreement will open up the islands to Chinese interference.