Interpol Red Notice for Ryan Torilal in Rodney Leysner disappearance case in Suriname
The Public Prosecutor's Office has requested Interpol to issue an international alert for Ryan Torilal via a Red Notice in connection with the disappearance of Rodney Leysner. Times of Suriname used only initials due to connections with Rudisa executive Warsha.
Interpol asked to issue Red Notice against fugitive Ryan Torilal
The Public Prosecutor's Office has requested Interpol to issue an international alert for fugitive Ryan Torilal via a Red Notice, according to De Ware Tijd. Torilal is being sought in the investigation into the disappearance of Rodney Leysner, who was last seen on 15 August in Saramacca district.
The story initially appeared in Times of Suriname, but that newspaper used only the initials RKT and RL — as the only media outlet to report on the case. According to De Ware Tijd, the reason lies in the fact that Torilal is the ex-partner of Warsha, owner of the Rudisa Group of Companies and also director of Times of Suriname. Journalists at the newspaper were explicitly instructed not to publish the full names, according to De Ware Tijd.
White Kia Sorento found burnt out
Leysner disappeared on 15 August. The following day his white Kia Sorento was found burnt out, crushed and buried in a marshy area. Justice considers his disappearance a suspected crime.
In the ongoing investigation, three suspects have already been arrested, including a Cuban couple employed by Torilal. Torilal himself was also questioned and was subsequently released. When evidence of his possible involvement increased and police wanted to arrest him, he turned out to have fled.
Culture of silence within Rudisa
According to De Ware Tijd, Rudisa staff had to sign a statement stating that employees must not speak publicly about the case, on pain of dismissal. This explains the reluctance in Times of Suriname, according to the newspaper.
Columnist Armand Snijders writes in De Ware Tijd that it is no coincidence that Torilal was able to "walk or fly whistling across the border to hide in anonymity." He draws a parallel with other prominent Surinamese fugitives, including Gillmore Hoefdraad, Desi Bouterse, Joël 'Bordo' Martinus, Paul de Haan and Prenobe Bissessur, who all managed to leave the country before justice could apprehend them.
Leysner family obstructed
The family of Rodney Leysner is keeping the case in the public eye, but according to De Ware Tijd is being obstructed. They want to know what happened to Leysner and where he is — alive or dead — and demand that any suspects be prosecuted.
Snijders states in his column that the culture of silence surrounding the case actually reinforces rather than refutes rumours of an alleged love triangle between Warsha, Torilal and Leysner. "Silence does not resolve the disappearance of a person," he writes. "It merely creates a stinking cover-up."
De Ware Tijd emphasises that the case illustrates how wealthy families in Suriname can influence the media and, it appears, also the judicial establishment, whereby justice according to the newspaper risks becoming "a privilege for the elite."
Source: De Ware Tijd