Daury Rodriguez denies having anything to do with the Natalee Case
DIARIO Aruba
02/05/2008

ORANJESTAD(AAN): Monday afternoon, attorney Chris Lejuez called a press conference to clear the name of Daury Rodriguez.

It was during the program of Peter R. de Vries on SBS6 that was broadcast Sunday in Holland, that Joran van der Sloot admitted to a person who he considered a friend, Patrick van der Eem, that Natalee died with him on the beach and that he called a friend to help him throw the body at sea. According to Joran, this friend was called Daury.

Daury Rodriguez took on Lejuez as an attorney and came forward to speak to the press because he believes that Joran was referring to him when he said that Daury helped him get rid of the body.

Daury thought this because when he was little he played futbol with Joran and recently he went to the casino with Joran and he and Joran exchanged telephone numbers and internet [email] addresses.

More importantly still according to Daury is that recently a Dutch person who said that s/he is writing a book on Joran van der Sloot, called to ask various questions.

According to Daury, the only person who could have given out his number was Joran. Daury, who was born on June 28, 1986, explained to the press that he could not have been the one who helped Joran because he was in Holland.

He was in Aruba at the end of January 2005 after which he went to Holland and returned in December.

As he was working via a so-called “Uitzendbureau” [employment agency], he has sufficient proof that he was in Holland.

Aside from this, ATM machine records in Holland can be checked, where he would be seen taking cash out.

The press asked Daury if his passport could prove if he was in Aruba or not, but he said that in January 2005 he lost his passport and got a new one. DIARIO asked Daury if he had a boat and he said no.

He was also asked if the Public Ministry had approached him. His lawyer explained that Monday morning he got in touch with the Public Ministry and they requested that he [Daury] go to the police station to give a statement and he did so.

DIARIO asked Daury if he got in touch with Joran after to ask him why he mentioned his name and he said that he did. According to Daury, the only thing that Joran could say was “Sorry man, Sorry man”.

[translated by Getagrip]