Presidential Secretariat challenges RTI Commission on PM’s assets | Page 2 | Sunday Observer

Presidential Secretariat challenges RTI Commission on PM’s assets

24 February, 2019

The Presidential Secretariat has filed a case in the Court of Appeal challenging the directive given by the RTI (Right-To-Information) Commission to disclose the assets and liabilities of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on a RTI request made by Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL), the Sunday Observer reliably learns.

Additional Secretary of the Legal Division of the Presidential Secretariat

Lakshmi Jayakody told the Sunday Observer that the Division submitted documents to Court of Appeal through the Attorney General’s (AG) Department.

“We submitted the documents on time. As far as I know the AG’s Department has presented them to the court” she said. A spokesman for TISL said the failure of the Presidential Secretariat to disclose the asset and liabilities of the Prime Minister is a clear violation of the RTI Act.

TISL Executive Director Asoka Obeysekere told the Sunday Observer that they had not yet received the information sought under the RTI Act and the ruling given by the RTI Commission in December.

The TISL filed an RTI on February 3, 2017 seeking information on the assets and liabilities of the Prime Minister. It sought information challenging the stance of the Presidential Secretariat not to release the information.

The RTI Commission gave its decision in favour of the TISL and ordered the Presidential Secretariat to release the information.

Then Presidential Secretariat sent a letter to the TISL, stating that it would file an appeal in the Court of Appeal. “We are hoping to inform the RTI Commission on the matter by next Thursday. We will apprise the Commission and update it on the situation” Obeysekera said.

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