Spanish
Santo Domingo.- The head of the General Directorate of Prosecution of the Public Ministry, Wilson Camacho, announced that the Public Ministry will appeal the coercive measure imposed on the brothers Antonio and Maribel Espaillat, accused of involuntary manslaughter following the collapse of the Jet Set nightclub, a tragedy that occurred on April 8th that left 236 dead and more than 180 injured.
During his statement upon leaving the court, Camacho was emphatic in stating that the judicial decision does not reflect the seriousness of the events nor the social impact of the tragedy.
You may be interested in: http://Imponen impedimento de salida, presentación periódica y garantía económica de RD$50 millones a hermanos Espaillat
“We do not agree with the imposed measure. The court did not correctly assess the magnitude of the damage caused to Dominican society, nor to the more than 130 families who were orphaned”, he expressed. The court ruled a travel ban, periodic presentation, and an economic guarantee of "50 million pesos" against Antonio Espaillat and for Maribel Espaillat. Measures that, in the opinion of the Public Prosecutor's Office, are disproportionate to the tragedy. Camacho highlighted that, despite not sharing the court's decision regarding the coercive measure, there were four key aspects of the hearing that support the Public Ministry's position. First of all, he underscored the unanimous recognition of the quality of the investigation carried out by the prosecuting body. Both the plaintiffs and the court itself validated the technical and legal work carried out by the prosecutors in charge of the Jet Set case. Likewise, the court confirmed the validity of the legal qualification proposed by the Public Prosecutor's Office, ratifying that the figure of involuntary manslaughter is the one that corresponds to the applicable criminal type in this process. As a third point, Camacho highlighted the declaration of a complex case, accepted by the court at the request of the Public Prosecutor's Office. This decision allows for the extension of procedural deadlines, guaranteeing a more exhaustive and in-depth investigation. Finally, the magistrate mentioned that the judge echoed a proposal reiterated by the Attorney General's Office: the urgent need to reform the Dominican Penal Code.
