Information commissioner: I don’t work on anyone’s orders, but to fulfil my duties

Information Commissioner Ahmed Ahid Rasheed has denied allegations by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu that he takes orders from the opposition to work against the incumbent administration.

During a ceremony held on Sunday morning to mark the Maldives’ 61st Independence Day, President Muizzu described Ahid, who was appointed in 2021 by then-President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, as an opposition figure who receives orders to work against his administration.

Responding to these allegations, Ahid told Sun that he does not work on specific orders just because he happened to have been appointed during a specific administration.

He said that he had got faces any direct attempts to influence his work, either during the incumbent administration or the previous one.

“I am working free from any influence by anyone, independently as mandated by law. This is also how I should be working,” he said.

Ahid said that his chief responsibility as information commissioner is to protect the people’s right to information.

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He said that he will continue to instruct disclosure of information as required by law, regardless of who the requests come from.

“Regardless of who requests it, information must be disclosed if it is required by law, by this law,” he said.

Ahid said that while some may perceive forcing state institutions to disclose information as a pro-opposition act, he has a duty to ensure access to information, regardless of who they may be.

“I also ordered the former administration to disclose information that then-opposition figures requested back during the former administration. This was reported by the press. It is my duty to make it compulsory to disclose information,” he said.

Ahid said that neither the former administration nor the incumbent one has attempted to influence his work.

The lack of threats or influence from any administration is something I wish to point out, he said.

Back in May, Ahid expressed concern that no government ministry was in full compliance of proactive disclosure obligations. On June 7, he provided an update that the President’s Office and all 16 ministries were now in full compliance with the obligations.

While government ministries managed to meet its minimum proactive disclosure obligations, state institutions, including the President’s Office, continue to face criticism for failure to disclose information in response to requests filed under the RTI Act.

Some of the cases, including the refusal to disclose the number of political appointees, have resulted in court battles.