Central bank Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) has refuted claims that its governor Ahmed Naseer had been out of the country while the parliament reviewed the government’s budget for 2018.

The reports surfaced after the ruling party’s deputy parliamentary group leader Riyaaz Rasheed said as such at the review committee earlier this week.

MMA’s statement over the matter stated that governor Naseer is in the Maldives.

MP Riyaaz Rasheed said as such after opposition parliamentarians proposed that both governor Naseer and the Auditor General be summoned to the committee.

Instead, Monday’s committee sittings heard written statements from both the auditor’s office and the MMA.

Ruling party’s parliamentary group leader and committee chair Ahmed Nihaan Hussein Manik and said that the committee will not be summoning Auditor General Hassan Ziyath.

Opposition parliamentarians had boycotted the vote over the refusal to summon said individuals.