Key witness in Sudiksha Konanki’s disappearance has passport seized by authorities

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic — Authorities in the Dominican Republic have seized the passport of Joshua Riibe, the man seen with University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki before she went missing, Fox News has learned.

Riibe’s attorneys said Saturday that Riibe’s travel document was taken by authorities “several days ago.” He has not been named a suspect in the 20-year-old student’s disappearance, but authorities have said he is a “person of interest” in the matter, which they consider a missing person case.

“It was confiscated by authorities when he tried to check out several days ago, when the investigation began,” lawyers from Guzmán Ariza, a Dominican Republican law firm, said. “He hasn’t had access to it since then.” 

Though Riibe, from Rock Rapids, Iowa, and a senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, has not been accused of any crime, the 22-year-old has been intensely scrutinized since Konanki’s disappearance March 6. A source close to the investigation told Fox News Digital Friday that Riibe, the only publicly known eyewitness, is considered a “key element in the investigation.” 

KEY WITNESS IN AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT’S DISAPPEARANCE TELLS POLICE HOW THEY MET, WHAT HAPPENED ON BEACH

Konanki, of Loudon County, Virginia, was staying at the Riu República Hotel in Punta Cana with five fellow Pitt students before she vanished. She was last seen on surveillance camera footage entering a beach with five other people after 4:15 a.m. March 6.

All group members except Konanki returned around 6 a.m. The 20-year-old stayed on the beach with Riibe. 

On Wednesday, Riibe completed a nearly four-hour interview with detectives, answering over 50 questions about the events leading up to Konanki’s disappearance.

MISSING AMERICAN IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: NO SUSPECTS AS SEARCH FOR SUDIKSHA KONANKI REACHES ONE WEEK

Riibe’s parents, Albert and Tina Riibe, have denounced the investigation of their son, saying he has “been detained under irregular conditions and subjected to extensive questioning without the presence of official translators or legal counsel until Wednesday, March 12.”

“He has remained in his hotel room under police surveillance and has been repeatedly taken to the police station since March 6, where he has been interrogated for long hours,” the statement, shared through the Riibes’ attorneys, said. “This situation has raised serious concern within his family, which has led us to retain legal counsel to initiate legal actions ensuring his safety and the protection of his rights throughout this process.”

Riibe has reportedly told varying stories about Konanki’s disappearance to authorities. According to local outlet Noticias SIN, Riibe told police he went swimming with Konanki but left after falling ill from the waves, leaving Konanki in the water.

In a second version of the story, he reportedly said that he left Konanki in knee-deep water before he passed out sick on the beach. In a third story, Riibe said he saw Konanki walking on the beach before he fell asleep.

Fox News Digital’s Bryan Llenas, Audrey Conklin and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.