Seeking
Manslaughter Indictment
Italian prosecutors involved in the Costa Concordia shipwreck case have made a formal request for a manslaughter indictment against Captain Francesco Schettino.
Prosecutors also requested the indictment of five others including the two deck officers, the helmsman, and Costa Crociere cruise line Marine Operations Director Roberto Ferrarini.
Schettino, dubbed 'captain coward' in the press, has already been found guilty in the public's eyes. He faces possible charges of multiple manslaughter and abandoning ship. He does acknowledge he was distracted and claims that he wasn't in command of the vessel at the time of the incident.
Schettino has consistently denied all charges of wrongdoing. He further says that the actions he took on that fateful night in January, 2012, actually saved lives as he steered the ship closer to shore. He has his own lawsuit pending against Costa Crociere for alleged unfair dismissal and is writing a book about explaining how an even bigger disaster was averted.
Costa Crociere, the Italian subsidiary of Carnival Corporation and owner of Concordia, has asked for a plea bargain agreement in the case. If accepted, the plea bargain could see Costa pay a 1 million euro ($1.35 million) fine, according to the AP.
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