Santo Domingo, (EFE).- Authorities in the Dominican Republic have arrested Antonio Espaillat, owner of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, and his sister Maribel Espaillat, as part of an investigation into the Apr. 8 roof collapse that killed 236 people and injured more than 180 others.
The siblings face charges of involuntary manslaughter due to negligence, the Attorney General’s Office confirmed in a statement Thursday.
Prosecutors accuse them of showing “gross responsibility” by failing to act on the deteriorating condition of the club’s roof, which eventually collapsed during a live performance by renowned merengue artist Rubby Pérez, who also died in the incident.
“Their failure to take necessary and specialized measures to prevent the collapse resulted in one of the deadliest peacetime tragedies in the country’s history,” the prosecution said.
Prosecutors cite gross negligence and attempted witness intimidation
The Espaillat siblings were detained after being summoned and questioned by Deputy Attorney General Wilson Camacho, head of the Public Ministry’s Prosecution Unit.
They arrived earlier in the day at the Attorney General’s Office in Santo Domingo accompanied by their legal team.
Their lawyer, Miguel Valerio, told reporters that the family is “fully cooperating with the investigation,” though prosecutors allege that the defendants also attempted to intimidate or influence employees of Inversiones E y L, S.R.L., the company that operated the nightclub, who may be called as witnesses.
According to the arrest warrant issued by a Santo Domingo court, both siblings face charges under Article 319 of the Dominican Penal Code, which covers involuntary homicide stemming from negligence.
Structural reports confirm Club’s vulnerability before collapse
The arrest follows the submission of an official report by the National Office of Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (ONESVIE).
The report concluded that the nightclub’s roof structure was in critical condition and had shown signs of deterioration long before the tragedy occurred.
The collapse happened in the early hours of Apr. 8 during a packed performance by Rubby Pérez, a national icon of Dominican merengue.
The disaster prompted an outpouring of grief and more than 70 civil lawsuits filed by families of the victims.
The Espaillats will be presented before a Santo Domingo judge for a pretrial hearing to determine precautionary measures. The Public Ministry is expected to request preventive detention, citing the severity of the charges and potential risks to the investigation. EFE
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