Santo Domingo. – The Public Ministry revealed that the Jet Set nightclub was operating with serious structural modifications made illegally, without proper technical supervision or permits from the competent authorities, which would have been decisive in the collapse of the roof that left more than 235 dead and at least 170 injured last April.
According to the request for a coercive measure against the owners of the establishment, Antonio Espaillat and Maribel Espaillat de Veras, the alterations included changes to support columns and roofing, violating the construction regulations in force in the Dominican Republic.
The document, over 120 pages long, indicates that these renovations were carried out “without the intervention of structural engineering professionals or the approval of the Ministry of Public Works or the Fire Department,” which aggravated the risk for the hundreds of people who attended the renowned entertainment center weekly.
“These interventions critically altered the structural capacity of the building, generating a failure point that was activated by the excessive load of people in the venue that night,” states the court file.
Furthermore, the Public Ministry asserts that the accused disregarded prior warnings about the risks presented by the construction after the work carried out, which for the Prosecutor’s Office constitutes negligent and malicious conduct.
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The National District Attorney’s Office requested preventive detention for 18 months for Antonio Espaillat and house arrest with precautionary measures for Maribel Espaillat, alleging a flight risk and obstruction of the ongoing investigation.
