Ecuador rebuts Assange refuge offer (Al Jazeera)

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President Correa says offer of residence made to WikiLeaks founder by lower official has not been approved

Assange's current whereabouts are unclear [Reuters]

Dec. 1, 2010 (Al Jazeera) -- Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa has dismissed an offer of residency that a lower level official made to the embattled founder of the online whistle-blower WikiLeaks.

The offer by Deputy Foreign Minister Kintto Lucas on Monday "has not been approved by Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino -- or the president," Correa told reporters.

Lucas had offered residence in his country to Julian Assange without conditions.