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Fate of stateless man still in limbo

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A stateless man with a curious name and two false passports will remain in Victoria Prison because authorities do not know where to send him.

Ruud Klinsman served eight months in jail for possession of a forged Canadian passport but has been detained for a further eight months while the Department of Immigration verifies where he is from.

He has been refused bail and yesterday lost his bid for freedom until deportation after seeking a writ of habeas corpus in the Court of First Instance.

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Mr Justice Brian Keith said yesterday it was 'quite possible' that for more than four months immigration officers never asked the man who he was - and only took action when he took the matter to court.

Klinsman claims he is an orphan from Guyana.

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The judge noted the man's name was 'an amalgam of European football superstars' Ruud Gullit and Jurgen Klinsmann, adding 'one is entitled to be sceptical whether even now he is telling the truth' after Klinsman claimed to be a professional footballer.

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