President’s Office fined for ‘obstructing responsibilities’ of Information Commissioner

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICOM) has fined the President’s Office for failing to respond to requests submitted under the Right to Information (RTI) Act within the timeframes stipulated by law.

Information Commissioner Ahid Rasheed said the decision was taken after the President’s Office repeatedly failed to comply with the disclosure deadlines established under the RTI Act.

The matter was raised during a hearing held by the Commission on Monday concerning an RTI request submitted by Raajje TV. Commissioner Ahid expressed concern that several requests had remained unanswered for more than four months.

As a result, the President’s Office has been fined MVR 2,000.

Commissioner Ahid described the prolonged delay as an obstruction of the Information Commissioner’s statutory responsibilities.

"Despite being granted multiple opportunities to provide the requested information, the President's Office has failed to do so. Therefore, under Section 67(c)(2) of the Act, this is deemed an obstruction of the Information Commissioner's responsibilities, and we have decided to fine the President’s Office," Ahid said.

ICOM has also instructed the President’s Office to respond to all outstanding RTI requests within seven days. The Commissioner further warned that legal action could be pursued if the office fails to comply with the directive.

According to statistics published by the Information Commissioner’s Office last year, 62 percent of RTI requests submitted to state institutions did not receive a complete response. Although 45 percent of requests were eventually answered in full, those responses were provided only after the statutory deadlines had passed.

Difficulties in accessing public information have become an increasing concern, with many stakeholders raising concerns over declining transparency under the current administration.