ITALY: The legal team representing Costa Concordia Captain Francesco Schettino say prosecutors at the pre-trial hearing have turned down their plea bargain request for their client

Record ID: 567019

  • Title: ITALY: The legal team representing Costa Concordia Captain Francesco Schettino say prosecutors at the pre-trial hearing have turned down their plea bargain request for their client
  • Date: 14th May 2013
  • Summary: GROSSETO, ITALY (MAY 14, 2013) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR COURT HOUSE COURT HOUSE SEEN THROUGH CAMERA LENS POLICE OUTSIDE MEDIA SURROUNDING LAWYER REPRESENTING CAPTAIN FRANCESCO SCHETTINO, FRANCESCO PEPE (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) LAWYER REPRESENTING CAPTAIN FRANCESCO SCHETTINO, FRANCESCO PEPE SAYING: "Each of the accused has put in a plea bargain. Initially five plea bargains were put in, because from our side we had no intention to do this. Our intention was to move forward to the trial, in order to clarify everything as much as possible. Obviously our hand was forced, this action by all the others to leave all the guilt to Schettino at this stage. We also put forward a plea bargain, clearly a larger one than the other accused and, as we expected and what eventually happened in this audience, yet again, the only person to have their plea bargain rejected was Captain Schettino." MEDIA WITH PEPE (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) LAWYER REPRESENTING CAPTAIN FRANCESCO SCHETTINO, FRANCESCO PEPE SAYING: "We think now we will go to trial. We want the details of what really happened to come to light, because, every day, we find data, witnesses and black box information that would set Schettino free. For us it would be better to have rigourous clarifications made." VARIOUS OF MEDIA WITH PEPE VARIOUS MEDIA LOOKING AT PAPERS FROM TRIAL VARIOUS OF COURT HOUSE SCENES BACK EXIT OF COURT HOUSE POLICE SCHETTINO LEAVING COURT HOUSE WALKING TOWARDS CAMERA MEDIA RUNNING AFTER SCHETTINO JOURNALISTS ASKING SCHETTINO QUESTIONS JOURNALIST ASKING IF HE THINKS A PLEA BARGAIN IS AN ADMISSION OF GUILT (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) CAPTAIN SCHETTINO SAYING WHILE HE GETS INTO CAR SAYING: "In fact, it wasn't my idea." SCHETTINO IN CAR LEAVING WITH MEDIA SURROUNDING CAR
  • Embargoed: 29th May 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Crime
  • Reuters ID: LVAB0FKH95U5JCYXJZCAOBZVGQPO
  • Story Text: The legal team representing Costa Concordia captain Francesco Schettino said on Tuesday (May 14) prosecutors, at a pre-trial hearing, have turned down their request for Schettino to serve three years and four months in prison.
    Prosecutors are seeking to have the ship's 52-year-old captain tried on charges including manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship.
    Whilst turning down the request made by Schettino, the prosecutors have said they would accept a plea bargain for five other Concordia officers also charged with involvement in the accident which sank the liner in January 2012.
    A judge presiding over the hearing, taking place in a former theatre in the Tuscan town of Grosseto, will decide later this week whether to accept the plea bargains.

    "Each of the accused has put in a plea bargain. Initially five plea bargains were put in, because from our side we had no intention to do this. Our intention was to move forward to the trial, in order to clarify everything as much as possible," explained Francesco Pepe, one of the legal team representing Schettino.

    "Obviously our hand was forced, this action by all the others to leave all the guilt to Schettino at this stage. We also put forward a plea bargain, clearly a larger one than the other accused, and, as we expected and what eventually happened in this audience, yet again, the only person to have their plea bargain rejected was Captain Schettino," Pepe said.
    A roar of outrage was heard inside the courtroom as the plea bargain for the other five accused Concordia officers was agreed to.
    The deputy commander Ciro Ambrosio who was on the bridge with Schettino, another official Silvia Coronica, an Indonesian helmsman Jacob Rusli Bin and the hotel director Marrico Gianpedroni and the Costa Concordia crisis unit coordinator, Roberto Ferrarini all had plea bargains accepted of between one year and eight months to two years prison sentence.
    If the judge accepts this, it is likely that Schettino will be the only person who will stand trial.
    The judge is expected to make a decision later in the week.

    "We think now we will go to trial. We want the details of what really happened to come to light, because every day we find data, witnesses and black box information that would set Schettino free. For us it would be better to have rigourous clarifications made" Pepe said.
    Media teams raced to bombard Schettino with questions as he left the court house at the end of the audience.
    One journalist asked him if the use of a plea bargain by his legal team was an admission of guilt.

    "In fact, it wasn't my idea," he said as he got into his car and sped away.
    Thirty two people were killed in the tragedy when the Concordia smashed into rocks off Giglio island.
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