Air Mauritius Audit Triggers Criminal Probe Over Fleet Sales Deals

Air Mauritius Audit Triggers Criminal Probe Over Fleet Sales Deals

Kroll audit uncovers procedural failures in aircraft transactions, triggering legal action.

Air Mauritius placed the Kroll audit findings before its board on Monday, June 29, 2026, and within hours set in motion both criminal referrals and civil litigation targeting fleet transactions that span nearly four years of the airline’s operations.

The audit examined five aircraft sales completed between 2020 and 2021, during the carrier’s period of voluntary administration: two Airbus A340-300 models, two Airbus A319-100 models, and one Airbus A330-200. Two further Airbus A330-200 aircraft were leased in 2022, and in 2023 the airline placed an order for an additional Airbus A350-900. Each transaction involved substantial capital, and Kroll’s review has raised questions about whether proper procedures governed any of them.

Three of those transactions have now been flagged as sufficiently problematic to warrant prosecution.

In its statement after the board meeting, company leadership said it examined the audit report “with the utmost seriousness” and committed to taking “all necessary and appropriate measures to protect the company’s interests.” The response is two-tracked. The Financial Crimes Commission receives the problematic findings first, with Mauritius’s judiciary ultimately determining whether the purchases and leases met legal and regulatory standards. Running in parallel, Air Mauritius management is preparing civil lawsuits against former executives and disciplinary proceedings against employees deemed responsible for misconduct.

What changed after the board session is the pace. The airline has moved from investigation to action, and the sequencing matters: criminal proceedings will likely take precedence and could shape the outcomes of the civil track.

The scale of the transactions under review represents capital movements that would ordinarily demand careful documentation and oversight at every stage. The board’s willingness to pursue both criminal referrals and civil remedies signals confidence in what Kroll found, and a determination to assign accountability rather than absorb the findings quietly.

Meanwhile, frustration has built among island residents who follow the airline closely. Public concern has centered on transparency, with citizens questioning why the audit of a public-interest company has not been released and has not been debated in Parliament. For an airline that functions as a critical national service, questions about financial governance carry weight well beyond the boardroom.

How quickly the Financial Crimes Commission and the courts move to examine the evidence will determine whether that accountability arrives in months or years.

Q&A

What aircraft transactions did the Kroll audit examine?

The audit examined five aircraft sales completed between 2020 and 2021: two Airbus A340-300 models, two Airbus A319-100 models, and one Airbus A330-200. Two further Airbus A330-200 aircraft were leased in 2022, and in 2023 the airline placed an order for an Airbus A350-900.

What actions did Air Mauritius take following the board meeting on June 29, 2026?

The airline set in motion criminal referrals to the Financial Crimes Commission and civil litigation targeting fleet transactions. Management also prepared civil lawsuits against former executives and disciplinary proceedings against employees deemed responsible for misconduct.

How many transactions were flagged as sufficiently problematic to warrant prosecution?

Three of the transactions examined have been flagged as sufficiently problematic to warrant prosecution.

What concerns have island residents raised about the audit process?

Public concern has centered on transparency, with citizens questioning why the audit of a public-interest company has not been released and has not been debated in Parliament.