Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius has been thrown into fresh turmoil after the architect of the deal was pulled in for questioning over alleged money-laundering.
And the agreement has been savaged by senior Tories and Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice.
Pravind Jugnauth, Mauritius’s former Prime Minister, was interrogated by the Mauritian Financial Crimes Commission on Saturday after a raid on his home.
Police earlier searched the property of a close associate, apparently discovering suitcases stuffed with cash in multiple currencies, luxury watches, and UK visas. The associate denied ownership of the items.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, a prominent critic of the plan, said: “The fact that the architect of the appalling Chagos deal has now been interrogated in a money-laundering probe puts a huge question mark over the future of the proposals. It raises the red flag that any money paid by Britain to Mauritius may end up being misappropriated for personal gain.”
It was yet another reason why the PM needed to abandon his “awful” proposal, insisted Mr Philp, adding that it would result in billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money “disappearing into what could be an unaccountable black hole where there are huge concerns about corruption”.
He told the Telegraph: “Paying billions to give away territory that has been British for hundreds of years while undermining our security at the same time is madness, and can only be explained by Keir Starmer trying to impress his lawyer friends. This whole deal defies common sense, and this revelation makes it even worse.”
Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel accused the Labour Government of “hiding from scrutiny at every turn.”
She said: “From the start, this Labour Government has refused to be straight with Parliament and the British public about their negotiations to surrender the Chagos Islands.
“The Government must disclose everything they know about this latest development, which affects our national interests.”
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, added: “The former Mauritian Prime Minister has been interrogated over suspected money-laundering in his own country, just as he tries to con Britain out of our sovereign territory.
“Starmer is blindly following a non-binding court judgment made in part by judges appointed by Putin and Xi Jinping. He’s proving to be China’s useful idiot. He should stop sucking up to his legal mates and grow a backbone.”
Mr Tice, posting on X, said: “Deal mastermind, the Mauritius former PM, under investigation after piles of cash allegedly found
“Deal never made sense, all left asking why? Follow the money….”
Mr Jugnauth, whose father also served as Prime Minister and President of Mauritius, was ousted in November’s election, a month after finalising the Chagos deal. Successor, Navin Ramgoolam, has been publicly critical.
Sir Keir spoke with Mr Jugnauth in the first months of his government as negotiations continued. Both he and Foreign Secretary David Lammy later met him at the Foreign Office.
Three years ago, Mr Jugnauth attended the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London, where he was photographed greeting the King.
The Mauritian Financial Crimes Commission has reportedly issued an alert freezing the passports of Mr Jugnauth, his wife, brother-in-law and the associate. No charges have yet been brought against him, and his supporters protested outside the Commission’s offices during his interrogation.
Reza Uteem, a minister in the Mauritian Government, said: “It is standard procedure for law enforcement to notify the passport and immigration services before interrogating a suspect. If there is any indication that the individual might attempt to leave the country, officials issue immediate instructions to prevent them from departing.”
The agreement, which hands the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius while maintaining a lease on Diego Garcia, is projected to cost UK taxpayers between £9 billion and £18 billion over the coming decades.
Diego Garcia has hosted a key UK-US military base since the 1970s, and senior figures in Donald Trump’s administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, claim the deal relinquishes a strategically vital territory to a country with close ties to China.
Sir Keir has defended the handover, arguing it provides “legal certainty” for the base’s future after a 2019 UN court ruling stated that the UK had no right to occupy the islands.
Express.co.uk has approached the Government for comment.