Govt denies to reveal receipts of Solih’s US trip

According to Maldives government, High Court’s order demanding state to reveal the receipts of former President Ibrahim Solih’s trip to the United States for a UN conference.

At Monday’s Supreme Court hearing, State argued the first appellate court’s order breached the law.

Former President Solih visited the United States in 2022 to deliver his UN address.

Information Commissioner’s Office demanded state to disclose receipts of Solih’s US trip, which the High Court ruled in favor. However, the former government appealed the case to the Supreme Court.

State attorneys said the trip details, without the receipts, were shared with the Information Commissioner’s Office, which they said was never highlighted during the High Court ruling.

The state also argued receipts are not compulsory in information disclosure, and subsequently requested the apex court to overturn lower court decision.

“The information was disclosed by the president’s office, but Information Commissioner’s decision did not factor that the information was already provided as requested,” the state attorney argued.

Information Commissioner’s Office said it demanded receipts to verify President’s Office information of Solih’s US trip.

Supreme Court’s judges bench presiding over the case inquired whether the information’s transfer from the receipts to another document could hamper its credibility.

Current central-Hithadhoo MP Ahmed Azaan made the formal request to reveal Solih’s US trip receipts back when he worked as a Dhiyares News journalist.

Meanwhile, Azan has raised concern over state’s recent rejection to disclose the information.

“The expenditure incurred from taxpayer money is not personal information. I hope Attorney General Ahmed Usham will change his stand regarding this,” Azaan said on X.

The Supreme Court judges’ bench for the case consists of Justices Aisha Shujuoon Mohamed, Mahaz Ali Zahir and Ali Rasheed Hussain.