The Altagracia.- After more than a week held at the Riu Hotel, Joshua Steven Riibe was transferred to another location, according to sources close to the case.
His legal team plans to formally request the return of his passport and cell phone today, which remain in the possession of Dominican authorities.
According to information obtained, It has never been considered to bring Riibe to justice., despite being the last person to see Sudiksha Konanki Chowdary on March 6th at the Riu Hotel beach in Punta Cana.
Sources linked to the investigation indicated that the case will be classified as “accidental drowning”, ruling out the possibility of criminal involvement in Konanki's disappearance.
Judge grants habeas corpus petition for Joshua Steven Riibe
On Tuesday, Judge Edwin Rijo Delgado of the Criminal Court of Higüey granted the habeas corpus request made by Riibe's defense, although he clarified that the investigation must continue.
Riibe attended the hearing accompanied only by his father and his legal team, in a low-key security environment, with police presence limited to officers stationed at the entrance and steps of the Higüey Palace of Justice.
His defense, represented by attorneys Micenis Beatriz Santana Hernández and Helen Alexandra Peralta, argued that their client has fully cooperated with the investigation and that there are no solid grounds to detain him. They also emphasized that his passport was confiscated on March 8, two days after Konanki's disappearance.
