The President's Office has refused to disclose details regarding gifts received by President Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed from various parties.
Under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, Adhadhu submitted a request to the President's Office seeking details of gifts presented to the President and First Lady by domestic and foreign entities for each month across the years 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026.
The RTI request also sought clarification on whether the President and First Lady had utilised any of the gifts received from these local or international sources.
The exchange of commemorative gifts is a standard practice during official occasions. Such exchanges typically occur during meetings between heads of state and dignitaries, as well as during state visits. It is understood that various government offices maintain records of these details.
However, the President's Office failed to provide a legal response to the RTI request submitted by Adhadhu. A complaint has now been filed with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICOM) requesting an investigation into the matter.
Furthermore, the President's Office declined to disclose information regarding the total salary and allowances received by Muizzu to date for each month of 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, as requested in the same RTI application.
In July, the Information Commissioner’s Office fined the President's Office MVR 2,000 for failing to respond to information requests within the legally mandated timeframe.
It has been noted that the President's Office consistently fails to provide information even after repeated directives from ICOM. Additionally, when information is provided, it is often incomplete or contains irrelevant responses.
