President's Office fined MVR 2,000 for repeatedly obstructing the Information Commissioner's duties!

The President's Office has been fined during a hearing at the Information Commissioner's Office regarding a case filed by RaajjeTV under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

RaajjeTV has filed numerous cases against the President's Office under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. However, the President's Office failed to provide responses within the statutory deadlines mandated for cases submitted to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICOM).

One of these cases involves a Right to Information (RTI) request submitted by RaajjeTV on October 28, 2025, regarding the President's official travels. The President's Office did not provide a response to that request until July 8, 2026.

Commenting on the response, RaajjeTV’s Head of Programs, Amir Saleem, stated that the station is deeply concerned by the significant delay in responding to the Right to Information (RTI) request. RaajjeTV’s Deputy CEO, Naazmee Saeed, also expressed concern over the President’s Office’s defiance of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICOM). He noted that during a hearing held in April this year, ICOM had explicitly ordered the President’s Office to provide a response within 10 days, a directive that has since been ignored.

Furthermore, the hearing addressed a Right to Information (RTI) request submitted by RaajjeTV on November 12, 2025. This request sought clarification regarding remarks made by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu during the Republic Day ceremony, where he stated that corruption was being perpetrated by individuals within the middle and lower classes.

The President's Office initially responded to this Right to Information (RTI) request in January of this year. However, as the response was deemed incomplete, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICOM) held a hearing in April and ordered the President's Office to rectify and resubmit its response within a 10-day period. That deadline was set on April 26, 2026.

However, As the President's Office failed to comply with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICOM) directive within the specified timeframe, ICOM President Ahid Rasheed has formally questioned the President's Office regarding the matter.

In response to the inquiry, the President's Office stated that efforts are underway to retrieve the requested information. However, they noted that delays have occurred because the written decisions from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICOM) hearings have not yet been received. Ahid expressed concern over this explanation, pointing out that the President's Office had failed to raise these specific issues during the initial meeting.

Ahid highlighted his concerns regarding the President's Office's claim that they had not received a written decision, especially since two months had passed since the final hearing. He further noted that, as a matter of general practice, transcripts of the discussions held during hearings are not provided in writing. Ahid also questioned why, if a written document was deemed essential, no effort had been made to obtain it during the intervening period.

Ahid expressed his dissatisfaction with the actions taken by the President's Office.

The President's Office has failed to comply with a directive to respond to a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by RaajjeTV regarding the Chagos dispute, despite being granted a 10-day deadline. The RTI inquiry specifically sought clarification on whether the President had engaged in any discussions concerning the Chagos issue.

Furthermore, RaajjeTV has expressed concern, stating that the President's Office is explicitly defying the decisions of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICOM).

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICOM) has ordered the President’s Office to respond to all outstanding Right to Information (RTI) requests within seven days. The Commissioner further warned that legal action would be pursued if the office fails to comply.

Furthermore, the President's Office was fined MVR 2,000 for failing to comply with the law and for repeatedly obstructing the Information Commissioner in the discharge of his duties.