Santo Domingo.- The Superior Administrative Court (TSA) has scheduled hearings to address appeals filed by Grupo de Medios Panorama against several public institutions for violating Law 200-04 on Free Access to Public Information.
The TSA has set hearing dates against the Ministry of Culture for June 25, July 2, and July 7. The Ministry of Agriculture and the State Sugar Council (CEA) are also being challenged for their refusal to provide requested public information.
On March 4, Panorama Media Group, through VTV channel 32, requested specific information on purchasing, contracting processes, and budget execution for 2023 from these public institutions, as per Law 200-04. Despite the law’s provision of a 15-day response period, extendable by 10 days, these agencies did not respond.
The court has agreed with Grupo de Medios Panorama’s legal team to expedite the case, acknowledging that ample time has passed without a response to the information requests.
The refusal to provide information within the stipulated period violates several articles of Law 200-04, which mandates that every person has the right to request and receive complete, truthful, adequate, and timely information from any state organ.
Grupo de Medios Panorama’s legal appeal emphasizes that the right to information is a fundamental right, as outlined in Article 49, Paragraph 1 of the Dominican Constitution. This right includes searching for, investigating, receiving, and disseminating public information by any means, as determined by the Constitution and the law.
The legal submission argues that the failure to provide the requested information to Grupo de Medios Panorama constitutes a violation of Article 49, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution, and infringes on the public’s right to validate the proper use of state funds.