President's Office fails to comply with legal requirements in case submitted by RaajjeTV to Information Commissioner's Office

Information Commissioner Aahid Rasheed has stated that the President's Office failed to comply with legal requirements regarding a case filed against the office by RaajjeTV.

Aahid made these remarks during a hearing held at the Information Commissioner's Office (ICOM) on Sunday.

This case follows a request by RaajjeTV to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICOM) seeking clarification on remarks made by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu during the Republic Day ceremony. In his address, the President stated that corruption is being perpetrated by individuals within the middle and lower classes. In response to the inquiry, the President’s Office stated that the requested information could be clarified through the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The President's Office issued the response only after the deadline mandated by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICOM) for such matters had already expired.

However, during the hearing, RaajjeTV’s Deputy CEO Naazmee Saeed and Head of Programs Amir Saleem expressed their concerns regarding the President’s Office's response. Naazmee and Amir pointed out that by simply directing them to seek clarification from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the President’s Office had failed to provide a substantive answer to the specific questions raised by RaajjeTV.

Furthermore, RaajjeTV noted that since the President specifically categorized corruption cases in his remarks, his statements cannot be dismissed as ordinary, given his position as the Head of State.

During the hearing, Information Commissioner Aahid stated that it must be determined whether the President's Office's response met the requirements stipulated by law. Aahid noted that the procedures to be followed are outlined in Section 12 of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. This includes specifying whether the requested information is available at the institution, stating if the information cannot be released, and detailing the subsequent steps to be taken as mandated by the law.

Aahid stated that, based on the response received from the President's Office, the office had failed to act in accordance with the law.

Based on the response provided, the President's Office has failed to act in accordance with the required procedures. They have not clarified whether the requested information is even held by the institution. The original request consisted of four specific questions: first, what constitutes mid-level and low-level corruption among employees; second, how many instances of mid-level corruption have been brought to the President's attention; third, how many high-level corruption cases have been brought to his attention; and fourth, what specific actions were taken regarding these cases. The office has failed to confirm whether any information pertaining to the answers to these questions exists within their records.

ICOM President Aahid Rasheed

Aahid stated that if the President's Office does not possess the requested information, they must explicitly state so. He emphasized that the President's Office is required to provide clear answers to the four questions posed by RaajjeTV, in accordance with the standards prescribed by law. Consequently, in light of the response provided thus far, Aahid has ordered the President's Office to share the information with RaajjeTV as legally mandated. Furthermore, Aahid reminded the President's Office to strictly adhere to the statutory deadlines when providing the requested information.

Aahid has instructed that the response be provided within 10 official working days.

Following this statement, the President's Office indicated that the relevant department would look into the matter to provide further clarification.