Tag: Information Commissioner

Government hands discounted flats to judges, commission heads

The government has awarded luxury flats at discount prices to Supreme Court judges and four heads of independent bodies including the Anti-Corruption Commission in what it calls an attempt to “ensure their integrity”.

However, the opposition has condemned the distribution as a “government effort to enslave independent institutions”.

The government was handed 10 flats in the newly built Rehendi Residency, constructed by FW Construction in Male’. The housing ministry then offered the semi-finished apartments for MVR 1.6m (US $103,761), much lower than the market price, to the chosen individuals.

Hassan Lutfee, president of the Anti-Corruption Commission, confirmed to Minivan News he had signed a contract to buy one of the apartments at the discounted price.

A former owner of one of the apartments not awarded to the government told Haveeru he had bought his apartment for MVR 2m (US $129,000).

The government also waived the six per cent interest charged to other flat buyers on their loans, though the prosecutor general said he had requested to pay the normal rate.

According to the local media, the flats were awarded to Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed, Supreme Court judges Ahmed Abdulla Didi, Adam Mohamed Abdulla, Abdulla Areef and Ali Hameed, Criminal Court Judge Abdul Bari Yoosuf and Prosecutor General Muhthaz Muhsin.

Apartments were also allotted to Commissioner General of Taxation Yazeed Mohamed and Information Commissioner Abdul Azeez Jamal Abu-Bakr. Not all the recipients have yet signed contracts to buy the flats.

Co-chair of the Economic Council Ahmed Adeeb told a press conference on Wednesday that the apartments were awarded to “ensure the integrity of independent institutions”.

“The flats were not handed out. The recipients have to pay for them. This will result in ensured integrity of independent institutions and moreover it will strengthen the state,” he said.

However, the opposition parties accused the government of trying to “enslave” the judiciary and independent institutions.

“This clearly is corruption. The constitution clearly states that no benefits can be given to members of independent institutions without parliament’s approval,” said MP Ali Hussain of the opposition Jumhoory Party.

“The fact that the flats were given personally to the heads of the institution and not [linked to] the post is outrageous.”

Article 102 of the constitution states that members of the judiciary and independent commissions “shall be paid such salary and allowances as determined by the People’s Majlis [parliament]”. However, parliament was not involved in allotting the apartments.

Muhathaz, the prosecutor general, told Minivan News he does not think the awards involve corruption.

“In my opinion the awarding of the flats is not unconstitutional. But I personally believe that it would have been better if it was awarded to the prosecutor general and not to me,” he said.

Information Commissioner Jamal said the flats were given to help the judges and institution heads live in a secure building, and dismissed any idea of government influence.

“I assure the people that I will always act professionally and within the bounds of the constitution and the laws,” he said.

The prosecutor general receives a monthly salary and allowances of MVR 57,500 (US $3,741), while the anti-corruption commission chief receives MVR 45,000 (US $2,927). Supreme court justices are paid MVR 71,000 ($4,619) and the chief justice MVR 73,125 ($4,757). They also receive extra benefits such as insurance.

A majority of civil servants are paid less than MVR 5,000 (US $325) a month.

The Supreme Court declined to comment on the issue, while the Housing Ministry refused to give information beyond what was discussed in the Economic Council press conference.

Judge Bari and Taxation Commissioner Yazeed were unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.

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Information officers appointed against RTI Act, says information commissioner

Information Commissioner Abdul Azeez Jamal Abubakur has said that information commissioners in most government offices have been appointed “against the spirit” of the landmark Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Azeez told newspaper Haveeru yesterday that the RTI law stipulates that information officers must not be a high-ranking official.

However, most information officers at state institutions were senior officials, the commissioner noted.

As the law requires a review committee comprised of senior officials, Azeez said there could be conflicts of interest.

Moreover, there were some offices that have yet to appoint information officers, the former Progressive Party of Maldives MP said, noting that these were mostly various departments operating under ministries.

Azeez said he was in the process of hiring employees for the information commissioner’s office and expected to begin work in the near future. The office was established by President Abdulla Yameen in early July after the RTI law came into force.

The commissioner’s tenure is five years and he has the power enforce a fine on information officers who deliberately refuse access to information. Such a fine may not exceed MVR5,000 (US$324).

The commissioner may also fine any individual who destroys requested information, obstructs a public authority or the information officer’s from providing access to information. Such a fine may not exceed MVR25,000 (US$1621).

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Parliament approves new information commissioner, deputy MMA governor

Parliament has today approved former Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP for Laamu Maavah, Abdul Azeez Jamal Abubakur, to the newly created post of information commissioner with 60 votes in favour, 19 votes against, and two abstentions.

The office of the information commissioner was established earlier this month by President Abdulla Yameen under the landmark Right to Information (RTI) Act.

The commissioner’s tenure is five years and has the power enforce a fine on information officers who deliberately refuse access to information. Such a fine may not exceed MVR5000 (US$324).

The commissioner may also fine any individual who destroys requested information, obstructs a public authority or the Information Officer’s from providing access to information. Such a fine may not exceed MVR25,000 (US$ 1621).

Parliament also approved the reappointment of Aishath Zahira as the deputy governor of the Maldives Monetary Authority with unanimous consent of 80 MPs participating in the vote.

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MJA urges Majlis to expedite Information Commissioner approval

The Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) has called on the Majlis to expedite the vetting and approval of the Information Commissioner.

The position was created by the landmark Right to Information Act (RTI) which came into force on July 12.

The MJA also called on state institutions to appoint information officers to all offices as soon as possible, and thanked the Maldives Police Services for being the first to appoint an information officer.

The government, state institutions and government officials must provide access to information without restrictions, the MJA said and warned the government that it would monitor the state’s actions.

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Office of the Information Commissioner established

President Abdulla Yameen has established the Office of the Information Commissioner as per the landmark Right to Information Act (RTI).

The Act, ratified in January, came into force on Saturday, July 12.

Yameen has nominated former Progressive Party of the Maldives MP Abdul Azeez Jamal Abu Bakr for the position in June.

According to the RTI Act, the People’s Majlis must approve an Information Commissioner within 30 days of the act’s enforcement.

The commissioner’s tenure is five years and has the power enforce a fine on information officers who deliberately refuse access to information. Such a fine may not exceed MVR5000 (US$324).

The commissioner may also fine any individual who destroys requested information, obstructs a public authority or the Information Officer’s from providing access to information. Such a fine may not exceed MVR25,000 (US$ 1621).

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President’s nominees forwarded to committee for vetting

A number of nominees by President Abdulla Yameen for independent institutions and diplomatic posts have been forwarded to the relevant standing committee for vetting at today’s sitting of parliament.

The nominees include President Yameen’s nephew Maumoon Hameed for the vacant post of prosecutor general, ‘Kurolhi’ Adam Zahir for a vacant seat on the Police Integrity Commission, and former MP Abdul Azeez Jamal Abubakur for the new post of Information Commissioner.

The nominees will be interviewed and vetted by the independent institutions committee.

President Yameen also nominated Aishath Zahira for deputy governor of the Maldives Monetary Authority.

Among nominees for diplomatic posts were Ahmed Shian as ambassador to the EU and non-resident high commissioner to the UK, Dr Mohamed Asim as the non-resident high commissioner to Bangladesh, Abdulla Hameed as the non-resident ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, and Fathmath Inaya as the non-resident ambassador to Singapore.

The nominees to the diplomatic posts will be vetted by the national security committee.

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President’s Office opens calls for an Information Commissioner and a PIC member

The President’s Office has re-opened a call for applicants for the position of Information Commission and opened a call for applicants for membership of the Police Integrity Commission (PIC).

The President’s Office said it had re-opened the call for Information Commissioner because only one applicant had answered the first call for applications in May.

The Information Commissioner position is a newly created independent office established by the landmark Right to Information Act.

The Act mandates President Abdulla Yameen to submit nominations for the post within 15 days of the Act coming into force on July 12. The People’s Majlis has to approve a nominee within 30 days of submission.

The call for applications will expire on June 22.

The PIC vacancy was caused by PIC member Dr Hala Hameed’s resignation earlier this year. Hala was appointed as State Minister for Health and Gender.

The call for applicants or PIC membership will expire on June 30.

Both applications are available on the President’s Office website.

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President’s Office calls for applicants to post of information commissioner

The President’s Office has called for applicants for Information Commissioner – a post created under the recently ratified Right to Information Act.

Announced in the government gazette today, the applications process will be open until 3pm on June 1.

Under the act, President Abdulla Yameen is mandated to appoint a commissioner for a five-year term who will enforce citizens’ rights to information. The appointment is required within six months of its ratification in January.

The commissioner has the power enforce a fine on information officers who deliberately refuse access to information. Such a fine may not exceed MVR5000 (US$324).

The successful applicant will also be responsible for fining any individual who destroys requested information, or obstructs a public authority from providing access to information. Such a fine may not exceed MVR25,000 (US$ 1621).

Under the act, any public authority is obliged to comply with a request for information within 21 days. However, if the request is relevant to an individual’s liberty or protection of a person’s life, information must be provided within 48 hours.

Following the passage of the act, local NGO Transparency Maldives described it as “an important step towards increasing transparency of the state institutions, ensuring greater accountability of public officials, and fighting corruption”.

Other key features of the act include the establishment of an information office in all state institutions, a seven-day period of response for information requests, and a 30-day period to provide the information or to explain a failure to do so.

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Majlis passes Right to Information Act

The People’s Majlis has unanimously voted to pass the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

The act – first introduced to the Majlis in 2009 – was passed as presented by the Social Affairs Committee with minor amendments with the support of the 67 MPs.

Introducing the bill to the floor, the committee chair MP Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed said the committee had sought assistance from local media and international experts in revising the bill

The bill was first sent to the People’s Majlis in 2007 but was rejected. It was reintroduced to the current People’s Majlis in November 2009, and underwent a complete overhaul at the Social Affairs Committee.

Local NGO TransparencyMaldives (TM) which has advocated for the act for a long time described its passing as “an important step towards increasing transparency of the state institutions, ensuring greater accountability of public officials, and fighting corruption”.

“Transparency Maldives hopes that President Abdulla Yamin Abdul Gayoom will expedite the ratification of the bill.We call on all actors and institutions to provide their full support towards successfully implementing the law once ratified” said the organization in a press released issued today.

Speaking to Minivan News today, Transparency Maldives’ Advocacy and Communications Manager Aiman Rasheed said the act was one of the best legislation  passed by the Majlis.

Once the bill is ratified, subsidiary regulations will need to be passed, an Information Commissioner will need to be appointed and a support structure will need to be implemented, Aiman said.

If ratified the act will bring about major changes to the Maldives access to information regime. Although the current RTI regulation introduced in 2008 through an executive decree applies only to government offices, the new act will apply to all state funded institutions including the parliament, judiciary and independent institution.

Other key features of the act include the establishment of an information office in all state institutions, instituting a seven day period of response for information requests and a thirty day period to proved the information or reason for failure to do so.

An independent Information Commissioner will also be appointed by the parliament from names proposed by the president. Issues with acquiring information can be appealed to the Information Commissioner.

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