Colombo Chief Magistrate Prasanna Alwis observed that it is an offence if a person does not provide information when a person requests certain information under the Right to Information Act.
The Magistrate made these remarks when the magisterial inquiry into the case filed against Health Ministry Secretary Janaka Chandraguptha and the Ministry’s information officer V. T. S. Siriwardena, was taken up before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
This case has been filed in relation to the failure to provide the relevant reports pertaining to the quality of the milk powder imported to Sri Lanka in 2019.
State Counsel appearing on behalf of the Attorney General’s Department requested the Magistrate to settle the case as the case is in the primary stage.
Attorney Nimali Kularathne appearing on behalf of the Right to Information Commission said the documents, which were requested by the complainant, have been handed over to the complainant by the defendants. She further stated that those documents were received by the complainant after lodging the aforesaid complaint.
She also noted that they are still checking on the information given by the defendants.
The Magistrate fixed further inquiries for May 2.
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