MJA had condemned actions of the government on veiling and obscuring the truth of the events that unfolded during the ban on smartphones at the press conference held in the President's Office.
Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) has declared that the President's Office had intentionally distorted the events that unfolded amid the issue surrounding the ban enforced over journalists participating in press conferences over allowing smartphones inside the President's Office.
While the President's Office had previously mandated a smartphone ban over outsiders participating in conferences held inside the office, journalists were notified that the ban now applies to them after they had arrived at the press conference. However, they were allowed to carry their phones inside as a special exception due to no prior notice being issued on the matter.
Amid escalation of criticism on social media in address of this, the President's Office had declared that the rumors spread about journalists being prohibited from carrying smartphones inside the conference room are false. They had also distributed pictures of journalists using phones at the press conference.
Expressing concern over this, MJA had released a statement declaring that the President's Office had made attempts to distort the truth regarding a cases where a large number of journalists are involved and further condemned the act.
"MJA condemns the attempts of the President's Office in veiling and intentionally twisting the truth reported by news media at a place where a large number of journalists were present," read the statement.
MJA said that reporters are increasingly frustrated due to comments structured by the President's Office to deliberately cloud the truth of the event that unfolded at the news conference.
The statement further remarked the journalists were informed that they cannot carry handhelds into the Office after they had arrived for the conference and that reporters had protested once they were informed of the ban stating that no notice was issued in advance and their work will be impeded as a result. Moreover, MJA had also revealed that smartphones were allowed inside only due to the protests of the journalists.
"However, reporters were informed that they cannot carry their phones inside during future press conferences," said the Association.
MJA stated that that event that unfolded were recounted by journalists present at the conference themselves and that journalists from eight different media were spoken to in order to verify this.
Minister at the President's Office for Strategic Communications, Ibrahim Khaleel announced yesterday that it has been over two months since the security protocols were being implemented to mandate smartphones to be left under the custody of security personnel.
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