RTI Commission orders Presidential Secretariat to release vehicle information by Jan 31
COLOMBO – The Right to Information (RTI) Commission on Tuesday (13) ordered the Presidential Secretariat to disclose information relating to vehicles handed over by officials whose appointments were limited to the term of the former President, Ranil Wickremesinghe, directing the requested details be released on or before January 31.
The order follows an appeal filed by freelance journalist Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi, who had sought information on vehicles transferred to the Presidential Secretariat after September 23, 2024.
Hettiarachchi submitted his original RTI application on January 29, 2025, requesting details of vehicles handed over following the conclusion of fixed-term appointments under the previous administration. The Presidential Secretariat rejected the request on February 20, 2025, refusing to disclose vehicle registration numbers on the grounds that such disclosure would amount to an invasion of personal privacy and pose a potential national security risk.
However, the RTI Commission rejected these arguments during the appeal hearing, ruling that the Secretariat was required to release the information within the stipulated timeframe.
An appeal was filed with the RTI Commission on March 20, 2025, after the initial refusal. The case was first taken up by the Commission on May 28, 2025, during which proceedings the Presidential Secretariat reportedly revised its position on several occasions.
According to the Commission, the Presidential Secretariat was summoned to appear before it on seven occasions in connection with the matter, with its representatives failing to attend several of those hearings.
The case was taken up again on Tuesday, following which the Commission issued a final directive ordering the Secretariat to comply with the RTI request and release the requested information by January 31.
-ENCL
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.