Africa-Press – Mauritius. The highly charged survey/sniffing affair relating to the Mauritius Telecom (MT) Submarine Cable Landing Station at Baie Jacocet epitomises what is fundamentally wrong with the appalling state of governance in the country.
This serious matter has sapped the goodwill and repute of Mauritius and threatened to put at risk the bulwarks in place to safeguard the sanctity of internet and international telecommunications traffic and the interests of economic actors.
It has caused deep apprehensions among the people about the country’s sovereignty, security and encroachments on their freedom of expression and internet exchanges and raised some fundamental questions. The nation therefore expects clear and honest answers.
How can the Prime Minister of the country verbally instruct the CEO of Mauritius Telecom, a private company having diverse shareholders to allow a foreign team of technicians to have access to the MT high security Baie Jacocet Submarine Cable Landing Station belonging to a broad consortium of countries, to carry out a survey mission without first seeking their approval?
Orange SA (France Telecom) holds a 40% shareholding since 2000 following the controversial decision of the government at the time to cede a large chunk of MT shareholding.
Why did the chairman of Mauritius Telecom, who is also the Secretary to the Cabinet, allegedly only informed the CEO of MT on 14 April that a foreign technical team was already in Mauritius and wished to carry out a survey of the Safe Cable? Why did he not urgently call a board meeting of Mauritius Telecom to first obtain their and the consortium’s approval to allow a physical intervention on such a high security and sensitive international telecommunications cable?
Mayhem The most flabbergasting aspect of this questionable decision is that there has been no written and detailed request by the PM for a survey of a highly sensitive international telecommunications cable to be carried out by a foreign team of technicians.
Everything is verbal. This is patently evident in the Hansard records and live broadcast of the parliamentary sessions covering the Private Notice Questions on this extremely serious matter. This departure from best practice norms has unleashed a highly damaging mayhem and caused a furore in the country.
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