Investigation into Phone Tapping: ACP Lilram Deal Remains in Custody Due to Inability to Pay Bail

ACP Lilram Deal was granted conditional release on Friday after being charged under the Official Secrets Act in the Moustass Leaks case. However, he remains in custody as he could not pay the bail amount set at two million rupees, in addition to a five million rupee bond. He is scheduled to appear in court again on December 15 to settle his bail.

The Port Louis court granted ACP Lilram Deal conditional release on December 12, after he was provisionally charged under the Official Secrets Act in connection with the phone tapping investigation related to the 'Moustass Leaks'. Magistrate Naazish Sakauloo established two bail amounts of one million rupees each, payable by cheque, alongside a five million rupee promissory note. As he was unable to meet these financial obligations, ACP Lilram Deal was taken back into police custody and must return to court on December 15 for bail arrangements.

The court also mandated that he report to the nearest police station twice a week and provide a reachable phone number. On December 9, 2025, the Central Criminal Investigation Department (CCID) arrested the senior officer following his interrogation. Investigators accuse him of refusing to disclose certain access codes for a Prestsol listening device, which are essential for accessing data, and suspect that he still possesses them. During questioning, he provided some of the codes but claimed to have forgotten the rest, which did not satisfy investigators.

His lawyer, Roshi Bhadain, stated that the Official Secrets Act is ambiguous and that his client is fully cooperating with investigators. He plans to file a motion to seek dismissal of the provisional charge.

It is noteworthy that this is Lilram Deal’s second arrest in six months. The former head of the Counter-Terrorism Unit was arrested in June by the Financial Crimes Commission in the 'Reward Money' case, after approximately Rs 4.5 million was discovered in a joint bank account with his wife, suspected to be from rewards paid to informants.

Moustass Leaks: ACP Lilram Deal Invokes the Official Secrets Act

The Central Barracks investigation into the Moustass Leaks case takes a new turn with the arrest of Assistant Commissioner Lilram Deal on Tuesday afternoon. Investigators accuse their suspended colleague of refusing to reveal the access codes to the phone tapping system servers used at that time.

During his interrogation at the Central Criminal Investigation Department (CCID) on Tuesday, ACP Lilram Deal invoked the Official Secrets Act. Following his hearing, he was arrested in the evening. He is charged with Breach of the Official Secrets Act. Shortly after, he was placed under observation in a clinic after complaining of health issues.

At the CCID, Lilram Deal discussed the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of the Prestsol devices, purchased by the police for phone tapping. He explained that the device was imported by a company acting as a middleman on behalf of the government. According to him, three devices were ordered: one assigned to his unit, the Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU) within the Prime Minister’s Office, another to the Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit, and the third to the National Security Service. All these devices were connected to a server that allowed for phone tapping.

Investigators suspect a link between the taps and the audio recordings of conversations revealed by Missié Moustass.

Lilram Deal indicated that he handed over the device to a senior police officer when he left the CTU. He claimed that the device assigned to the CTU was never put into operation. The CCID is attempting to extract data from the CTU device, but they have not been successful due to lacking the access codes.

Official Secrets Act

Assistant Commissioner Lilram Deal was caught by the justice system even before his involvement in the Moustass Leaks case. On June 20, 2025, he was arrested by the Financial Crimes Commission (FCC) as part of the Reward Money investigation. Investigators accuse him of receiving Rs 4.5 million from funds intended to pay informants. Lilram Deal invoked the Official Secrets Act concerning the use of this money. The FCC alleges that he purchased a car with part of these funds. Lilram Deal is facing a provisional money laundering charge before the Port Louis court. After three weeks in detention, he was released on bail on July 17.