Spanish
Santo Domingo. – One of the most serious findings of the court file on the tragedy at the Jet Set nightclub indicates that the roof repairs were carried out by unqualified personnel, under the instructions of the defendant Antonio Espaillat, without complying with the technical requirements demanded for that type of structure.
The Public Ministry indicates that Mr. Manuel Jiménez Mateo, in charge of maintenance at Radio Cadena Comercial, was the person used recurrently to address the leaks and falling ceiling panels at Jet Set. However, he was neither an engineer nor a certified technician in structures.
The tasks, according to the file, included the application of cement, asphalt tarpaulins and zabaletas, in addition to the replacement of panels by Jiménez with the help of another employee (José Luis García) and two Haitian nationals known as “Caballito” and “El Grande”, who also did not have professional training in construction.
“These repairs were carried out in an improvised manner, without load studies, without technical direction, and with inappropriate materials,” highlights the Public Ministry. This, according to the expert report, aggravated the progressive weakening of the roof, which finally collapsed on April 8, causing more than 235 deaths and more than 170 injuries.
The file also details that the work sought to hide leaks and falling ceiling panels instead of correcting the structural origin of the problem, which was reported by employees since at least the year 2024.
The Prosecution requested pre-trial detention for Antonio Espaillat for 18 months, and house arrest with restrictive measures for Maribel Espaillat, also linked to the management of the business.
