The Ministry of Housing, Land, and Urban Infrastructure has acknowledged missing a hearing scheduled by the Information Commissioner's Office (iCOM) due to negligence by a staff member. The Ministry has since taken disciplinary action against the employee, citing adherence to Civil Service regulations.

In a statement, the Ministry emphasized its commitment to disclosing information promptly in response to Right to Information (RTI) requests. It assured that internal policies are being reviewed to prevent similar issues in the future.

The incident began when an individual filed a complaint with iCOM, alleging that their RTI request to the Ministry had gone unanswered. A hearing was scheduled for November 7 to address the matter. However, the Ministry failed to attend or notify iCOM at least an hour before the hearing, as required under RTI regulations.

As a result, iCOM imposed a fine of MVR 350, marking the first time such a penalty has been levied. The Ministry stated that the Information Officer involved has been temporarily relieved of duties and issued a written caution.

In the past, iCOM filed a complaint with the Prosecutor General's Office against the President’s Office for failing to comply with rulings, but no fines had been imposed until now.