MP says that two Haitian nationals without training were used in the repair of the Jet Set’s roof

Santo Domingo.– The judicial file on the Jet Set nightclub tragedy reveals that the owners of the establishment allowed two unqualified Haitian citizens to carry out repairs on the roof of the premises, weeks before the collapse that left more than 235 dead and more than 170 injured on April 8.

The workers, identified in the documents only as “Caballito” and “El Grande”, were assistants to the maintenance supervisor Manuel Jiménez Mateo, who also did not have professional training in civil engineering or structure. Despite the visible cracks and detachments, they would have been entrusted with applying cement patches, placing asphalt tarpaulins, and replacing broken panels. According to the Public Ministry, these interventions were not only improvised, but also dangerous:

“Unskilled labor was used to intervene in a visibly compromised structure. Instead of hiring professionals, informal workers without any technical direction were used,” says the record.

Authorities maintain that this decision evidenced a pattern of extreme negligence and disregard for human safety, as the roof had already shown signs of weakening since 2024 and had been the subject of multiple internal reports. This practice would violate several articles of the Dominican Penal Code, the Occupational Safety and Health Law, and the Migration Law, by allowing the irregular use of foreign labor for critical tasks without documentation or specialized training. The Prosecution requested preventive detention for 18 months for Antonio Espaillat, as well as house arrest and immigration restrictions for Maribel Espaillat, also involved in the management of the premises.