Abdul Azeez Jamal Aboobakuru was officially appointed as the Information Commissioner today.
The appointment ceremony took place this afternoon at the President's Office. He was the first individual to hold this position following the enactment of the Right to Information (RTI) Act in 2014.
Jamal’s appointment comes amid concerns raised by civil society organizations and human rights advocates.
Findings from RTI assessments conducted during Abdul Azeez’s previous tenure reveal that he dismissed 53 percent of the cases submitted to the office. Furthermore, 16 percent of the submitted cases received no response at all.
During his previous term, the introduction of "Mahoali" forms—which mandated that applicants state their reasons for requesting information—was criticized for providing state institutions with opportunities to withhold information.
According to the RTI Act, the term of office for the Information Commissioner is five years. The law further stipulates that the tenure may only be extended to a total of 10 years if the People’s Majlis approves the incumbent for a second term.
Given these legal provisions, critics argue that Abdul Azeez is ineligible for reappointment, as he has already completed a full five-year term in the post.
Legal experts consulted by Adhadhu also noted that the phrasing of the relevant article in the Act suggests that an individual who has already served a term cannot be reappointed in this manner.
The appointment of a former State Minister of the current administration to this watchdog role comes at a time when the President’s Office, various ministries, government agencies, and state-owned enterprises are facing heavy criticism for their lack of transparency and refusal to disclose information.
