The president’s office will be disclosing the details of the expenses of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s trip to New York to attend this year’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), says Ibrahim Hood.
The spokesperson at the president’s office said this after a call from Transparency Maldives (TM), to disclose these details, after the opposition claimed that at least MVR six million was spent on the trip.
While Hood is to have denied this to a local news outlet, TM via Twitter called to disclose the expenses of the trip as guaranteed under Article 29 of the Constitution.
“Everyone has the freedom to acquire and impart acquiring and imparting knowledge, information and learning”Article 29
Transparency Maldives called to release these details “as soon as possible,” and highlighted that institutions must provide such information “voluntarily.”
Responding to this, Hood said that he had told a reporter that he was “not sure of the amount,” as it is something they are not asked to disclose “usually.”
However, he is to have told the reporter that his estimate is “around half the figure quoted on social media.” The spokesperson added that he will “happily” disclose more details after concluding the New York trip and returning to office.
There has also been criticism over the number of officials that traveled for the UNGA with the president, with some claiming that over 20 people had accompanied him.
However, RaajjeMV understands that the UNGA delegation comprises of around 10 officials.
