The Presidential Secretariat has been summoned to appear before the Right to Information (RTI) Commission on May 28 for failing to provide information requested under the Right to Information Act, No. 12 of 2016, within the stipulated timeframe.
According to an appeal under RTIC/Appeal/405/2025, the information was originally sought by journalist Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi on January 29, 2025, regarding the personal and coordinating staff of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who are remunerated with public funds.
The request specifically sought details on the number of individuals recruited to the President’s personal staff, the positions they hold, their monthly salaries and allowances, and the number and types of vehicles allocated to them, including the identities of those authorized to use them.
The request also included inquiries about officials appointed solely for the term of the President, starting from September 23, 2024, along with information on ministries assigned to the Presidential Secretariat and the vehicles provided to those ministries, including registration numbers and vehicle types.
Despite acknowledging receipt of the request via letter PS/RTI/01/2025/35 on January 30, 2025, the Presidential Secretariat failed to provide the requested information or offer valid reasons for the delay, as required by the Act.
An internal appeal was filed on February 20, 2025, and acknowledged by the designated officer on February 25, 2025, through letter PS/RTIA/11/2205/06.
However, no further action was taken to release the information, prompting the applicant to escalate the matter to the Information Commission on March 27, 2025.
Under the RTI Act, public authorities are required to respond to information requests within 14 working days.
Failure to do so without valid justification constitutes a violation of statutory obligations.
In previous instances, similar information pertaining to the personal staff of former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa, Maithripala Sirisena, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and Ranil Wickremesinghe was released to the public under the same legal framework.
The hearing on May 28 is expected to shed further light on whether the Presidential Secretariat intends to comply with its obligations under the RTI Act, amid increasing public scrutiny over the use of state resources.
Leave a comment