Info commissioner files case on President's Office
iCOM has repeatedly asked the President's Office to disclose information. The government has yet to comply.
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By
Shahudha Mohamed
The Office of the Information Commissioner (iCOM) has filed a case with the Office of the Prosecutor General (PG) against the Office of the President for failing to disclose information despite being ordered to respond to a motion filed under the Right to Information Act.
Information Commissioner Ahmed Ahid Rasheed told Atoll Times on Monday:
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The case has now been referred to the prosecutor's office against the president's office for not disclosing information
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More cases are underway to be sent to the prosecutor in the near future
iCOM filed a case seeking information on vaccination, which was denied in 2022 when someone asked for it during the previous regime.
The Right to Information (RTI) Act empowers iCOM to request the PG office to file a case of non-compliance of an information commissioner's decision and non-appeal against it.
The government on Monday defended its decision in the Supreme Court to defend the confidentiality of receipts for the expenses of former President Ibrahim Mohammed Solih's trip to the United States.
Under the Right to Information Act, the biggest problem with this government has been the lack of information about the number of political employees that have been appointed since Muizzu came to power.
Many such cases have been submitted to iCOM after the deadline stipulated in the law as the President's Office has not provided the information despite several requests for details of political positions.
iCOM has repeatedly asked the President's Office to disclose information. The government has yet to comply.