Santo Domingo.- Businessman Antonio Espaillat was transferred on Thursday night to the jail of the Palace of Justice in Ciudad Nueva, as part of the ongoing investigation into the collapse of the roof of the Jet Set nightclub, a tragedy that left 236 people dead and more than 180 injured.
Authorities also confirmed the detention of Maribel Espaillat, sister of the businessman and administrator of the nightclub, who according to reports was the first to alert Antonio about what happened, by calling him from the rubble in the early morning of April 8th.
Both brothers appeared at the headquarters of the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic (PGR) shortly after 2:00 p.m. on Thursday and around 6:50 p.m., the Public Ministry issued a statement confirming that the Espaillats are being investigated for involuntary manslaughter, due to their alleged negligence in the prevention of structural collapse.
According to the accusation, Antonio and Maribel Espaillat would have incurred an “immense irresponsibility” by not carrying out a timely intervention to prevent the collapse of the roof, despite the fact that structural risks in the property were known.
Furthermore, the Public Ministry revealed that both allegedly attempted to intimidate or manipulate employees of the establishment who could serve as key witnesses in the criminal investigation.
The arrests occur one day after a Jet Set employee revealed that he had warned Antonio Espaillat about the danger of holding the party scheduled for April 8, which was enlivened by merengue singer Rubby Pérez. The authorities managed to access the employee’s phone, where they found conversations with the businessman that reinforce the accusations of negligence.
On the other hand, the National Office of Seismic Evaluation and Infrastructure and Building Vulnerability (Onesvie) delivered a preliminary technical report to the Public Ministry, detailing the structural causes of the collapse.
Arrival of Antonio Espaillat at the Palace of Justice of Ciudad Nueva
