Spokesperson defends failure to respond to RTI requests, claiming not all inquiries are legitimate

Government Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef (Mundhu) has stated that not all Right to Information (RTI) requests submitted are legitimate.

Shareef made these remarks while speaking at a press conference held on Thursday. He stated that not all requests submitted under the Right to Information (RTI) Act are legitimate.

When questioned as to why it takes several months to notify RTI applicants of such matters, Mundhu stated that he believes RTI requests must be answered and that failing to provide a response is inexcusable.

However, Shareef once again defended the refusal to respond to Right to Information (RTI) requests, asserting that such inquiries must align with the "spirit" of the law.

It is possible, and I offer this neither as a justification nor an excuse, but the responsiveness of various state institutions is not uniform. We acknowledge this issue and are actively looking into it; that is a total admission on our part. Our objective remains to ensure that a higher percentage of information is provided to you even more promptly. However, if a Right to Information (RTI) request is submitted in accordance with the spirit of the law,

Government Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef (Mundhu)

Attorney General Ahmed Usham has also spoken out, criticizing those who submit Right to Information (RTI) requests. Usham stated that while it is important to provide information to those who use the RTI Act in good faith, the law is frequently seen being misused. He further noted that the RTIs submitted by some individuals require state institutions to dedicate an excessive amount of time to processing them. However, Usham himself acknowledged that filing RTI requests is a legally permitted activity conducted within the framework of the law.