A magisterial court of inquiry examining evidence in the Seabank Hotel tragedy has declared there are sufficient grounds for four of the five co-accused, facing proceedings on charges of involuntary homicide, to be placed under a bill of indictment. The fifth co-accused was freed of the charges.

Criminal proceedings were instituted following the unfortunate accident which took place almost five years ago, when extension works at the seaside resort resulted in the collapse of a structure which cost the life of a 27-year old Latvian construction worker.

READ: Hotelier shocked by tragic collapse

The lifeless body of the victim had been found buried under the ruins of a nightclub and underlying carpark which collapsed at the hotel in Għadira Bay, on March 6, 2012 at around 10.40am.

Three architects, Robert Sant, 53, from Balzan, Reuben Gatt, 41, from Marsa and Pierre Farrugia, 47, from Ta' Xbiex together with building contractors Etienne and Angelo Bartolo, 38 and 63 respectively, from Żebbuġ, in their personal capacity as well as on behalf of B&B Construction Ltd, were facing charges of involuntary homicide.

The court, presided by magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, after considering the evidence brought before it concluded that there were sufficient grounds to put Mr Sant, one of the architects tasked with supervising the works at the hotel, under a bill of indictment.

Father and son contractors, Angelo and Etienne Bartolo, together with Pierre Farrugia as director of the same construction company, were also to be placed under a bill of indictment.

The court, however, concluded that there was no sufficient evidence for the other co-accused, namely architect Reuben Gatt, to be placed under a bill of indictment and thus declared that the accused had no case to answer.

Inspector Joseph Busuttil prosecuted.

Lawyer Joe Giglio was counsel to Mr Gatt. Lawyers Pawlu and Alessandro Lia were counsel to the building contractors. Lawyers Michael and Lucio Sciriha were counsel to Mr Fartugia. Lawyer Daniel Buttigieg was counsel to Mr Sant.

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