The President's Office will face a penalty of MVR 2000 for hindering the legal duties of the Information Commissioner.

The announcement was made during a public hearing today by the Information Commissioner, Ahmed Aahid Rasheed, after the President's Office did not reply to five RTI requests.

Aahid remarked that the President's Office's inability to meet the timeline for RTI requests, and its continued non-compliance even after the commission extended the deadline, directly hinders the Information Commissioner's responsibilities.

The commissioner additionally cautioned that if a reply is not received within the specified period, and if it goes beyond 45 days, the commission will move to file charges against the Information Officer of the President's Office.

Typically, the Information Commissioner instructs that a reply be provided within five days following a hearing. Offices are allowed 45 days to contest the commissioner's ruling.

The Information Commission has previously imposed fines on other institutions for not adhering to RTI requests.