Maldives Immigration has refuted foreign media reports claiming that a man convicted of sexual assault in the United Kingdom is a Maldivian citizen.

The reports alleged that 36-year-old Sundariingam Koodalingam, sentenced to four years in prison for assaulting a woman at a massage parlour, was from the Maldives.

In a statement, Maldives Immigration said the man is not recorded as a Maldivian citizen in any government database. The authority urged the public to avoid spreading unverified information that could cause confusion.

Foreign media stated that Koodalingam travelled to the UK from the Maldives in 2021. He has denied the charges.