- Title: ITALY: Costa Concordia captain arrives for pre-trial hearing
- Date: 19th October 2012
- Summary: GROSSETO, ITALY (OCTOBER 19, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF TEATRO MODERNO THEATRE, VENUE FOR PRE-TRIAL HEARING GROUP OF POLICE OFFICERS ARRIVING POLICE SETTING UP BARRIERS VARIOUS OF POLICE OFFICERS IN CAFE IN FRONT OF THEATRE VARIOUS OF POLICE SNIFFER DOG AND OFFICERS CHECKING TRAP DOOR ON BUILDING CAR CARRYING CAPTAIN FRANCESCO SCHETTINO ARRIVING AT BACK OF THEATRE SCHETTINO GREETING CAMERA AS HE ENTERS THEATRE THROUGH BACK DOOR BACK ENTRANCE OF THEATRE MEDIA / LAWYER FRANCESCO PEPE, PART OF SCHETTINO'S DEFENCE TEAM, IN FRONT OF REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) LAWYER FRANCESCO PEPE, PART OF SCHETTINO'S DEFENCE TEAM SAYING: "Unfortunately I can't tell you. What I can tell you is that I am not pleased that no one believes him because, fortunately, having spoken to a lot of people, there are many who believe and who have noted that the manoeuvre did take place, also, seeing that there is such clear evidence, starting from the orders that he gave to the various facts available. It is much more difficult to sustain that the manoeuvre was just chance than admitting that it was a manoeuvre that was wanted, "a decision", as Schettino says." VARIOUS OF ACCUSED ROBERTO FERRARINI OF COSTA CRUISES CRISIS UNIT WHO SPOKE ON THE PHONE WITH SCHETTINO DURING INCIDENT, ARRIVING SCHETTINO'S DEFENCE LAWYER BRUNO LEPORATTI ARRIVING (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) LAWYER GIULIANO LEUZZI REPRESENTING CONSUMER GROUP CODACONS SAYING: "Today, above all, we are expecting to conclude the examination of the experts' findings and the defence of Schettino to finish their questioning. After that, we will have to see what the judge wants to do. We expect the judge to want to take notice of the important gaps that emerged in the experts' findings and the need to carry out further investigations and so, actually, this pre-trial hearings will not be closed but instead there will be a continuation to the activity of the experts." SHOP KEEPER MAURIZIO MONTOMOLI WITH CLIENTS IN SQUARE WHERE THEATRE IS LOCATED (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) SHOPKEEPER MAURIZIO MONTOMOLI SAYING: "I think Costa will bear the brunt of the responsibility here. Schettino is one person, he caused damaged and caused what we've seen. However, someone has to pay for all of it, be it at the financial level or at judicial level." POLICE OUTSIDE THEATRE
- Embargoed: 3rd November 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Italy
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Crime
- Reuters ID: LVA704MV0ZNVYBJEM8YRMG2OADFF
- Story Text: Lawyers gathered on Friday (October 19) for what is expected to be the final day of a pre-trial hearing into the Costa Concordia tragedy.
The fifth day of the hearing in Grosseto will be taken up with final details from Captain Francesco Schettino's defence team and a possibility the judge will request further expert investigation.
The Concordia's captain, Francesco Schettino, faces charges of manslaughter, causing the accident and abandoning ship before the evacuation of 4,200 passengers.
Much discussion has involved the last manoeuvre that Schettino says he enacted in order to bring the Concordia close to the shore, thus saving thousands of lives. Some experts have said the manoeuvre was "an act of god" and not a conscious decision.
"What I can tell you is that I am not pleased that no one believes him because, fortunately, having spoken to alot of people, there are many who believe and who have noted that the manoeuvre did take place, also, seeing that there is such clear evidence, starting from the orders that he gave to the various facts available," said defence lawyer Francesco Pepe.
Evidence presented in the hearings earlier in the week place responsibility for the disaster more widely.
"Today, above all, we are expecting to conclude the examination of the experts' findings and the defence of Schettino to finish their questioning," said lawyer for consumer group Codacons, Giuliano Leuzzi.
"After that, we will have to see what the judge wants to do. We expect the judge to want to take notice of the important gaps that emerged in the experts' findings and the need to carry out further investigations and so, actually, this pre-trial hearings will not be closed but instead there will be a continuation of the activity of the experts," he said.
Hundreds of journalists from around the world followed the hearings at the beginning of the week, as streets were blocked in the centre of town and a high presence of police were visible. But local residents say the inconvenience caused is not a great price to pay.
"There were deaths and these people had families and these families are suffering and deserve to have justice so even if all this has created disadvantages to the city of Grosseto, I think it's important that justice is found," said local resident Marco.
"I think Costa will bear the brunt of the responsibility here. Schettino is one person, he caused damage and caused what we've seen. However, someone has to pay for all of it, be it at the financial level or at judicial level," said shopkeeper Maurizio.
Along with Schettino, first officer of the Costa Concordia, Ciro Ambrosio, and seven other ship's officers are also being investigated, as well as executives of the operator Costa Cruises. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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