NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister’s Office has refused to share details on the quantum of blackmoney brought back from abroad, citing a provision of the RTI Act that bars disclosure of information that may impede investigation and prosecution of offenders.
The PMO’s response came after the Central Information Commission, in an order passed on October 16, had asked it to provide details on blackmoney within 15 days.
Replying to an RTI query, the PMO said a Special Investigation Team is investigating the matter.
“As such, disclosure of all the action/efforts undertaken by the Government at this juncture may impede the whole process of investigation or apprehension or prosecution of offenders and hence would attract the provision of exemption under Section 8 (1) (h) of the RTI Act,” it said in response to the RTI application filed by whistle-blower bureaucrat Sanjiv Chaturvedi in August last year.
Furthermore, such investigations come under the purview of different Government intelligence and security organisations which have been excluded from the ambit of the RTI Act, the PMO reply said. (AGENCIES)
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