A case submitted to the Prosecutor General’s (PG) office by the Information Commissioner’s Office of Maldives (ICOM) over non-compliance by the President’s Office is not related to the current government, the President’s Office has said.
In a post on her official X account, Chief Spokesperson Heena Waleed said that the case involved the failure to respond to a right to information (RTI) request filed years ago.
"This case was originally filed in 2022, regarding disclosure on covid vaccines and the failure of then-administration to comply with the request," Heena wrote.
ICOM submitted the case to the PG office on Monday seeking criminal charges against the President's Office. The PG office asked the police to determine whether the case involved a criminal offence.
Despite the President's Office saying that the case was unrelated to the current government, the office has not replied to RTI requests over the past seven months. The President’s Office also failed to attend ICOM hearings over the non-disclosures.
Of 149 complaints submitted to ICOM in the first four months of the year over refusal to disclose information, 31 complaints were made against the President's Office. The Information Commissioner previously warned that action would be taken against the President's Office over the failure to respond to RTI requests or attend hearings.
Speaking at a press conference on December 5, 2023 after assuming office, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu said the public would not have to file RTI requests to seek information from his government.
"There will be nothing to hide and unaccountable. Information will be shared. If you, for example, encounter such a situation, just let me know. I am sure [such a situation] will not happen," the President said on December 5, "You will not have to submit RTI. I don't think you would ever need to. You will get all the information. There will be no restraint on anything."
