About four years after the bridge collapse in Genoa, killing 43, the trial begins on Thursday. A total of 59 people have been charged, including Giovanni Castellucci, ex-boss of the Autostrade per l’Italia highway company that operated the collapsed bridge.
The charges are negligence, obstruction of road safety, forgery and willful failure to take security measures. In April, an examining magistrate accepted the comparison offers from motorway company ASPI and its former maintenance unit SPEA. The two companies paid a total of about 30 million euros to avoid a full lawsuit. The prosecutor agreed to the settlement.
New boss testifies against old leadership
The highway company ASPI is controlled by the listed Atlantia Holding. The company’s current boss, Roberto Tomasi, has been called as a witness for the prosecution. His name is on the list, along with 177 other witnesses, which prosecutors presented to the court for Thursday’s first hearing. The new CEO will testify against the old management of the company.
Damage to the bridge should have been known to those responsible
The suspects are senior managers of the highway authority, experts and senior officials of the Ministry of Transport in Rome. According to Genoa prosecutors, most of the suspects expected the bridge, which was built in the 1960s, to collapse and did nothing to prevent it, as they wanted to save as much money as possible on maintenance to secure higher dividends for shareholders. It is said that damage to the structure was known long before the collapse.
“We hope that the process progresses quickly and that the truth about the negligence in the maintenance of the bridge finally comes to light,” said Egle Possetti, spokeswoman for the relatives of the victims of the accident. When the Morandi Bridge collapsed, she lost a sister, her husband and their two children.
Cars fell 40 meters down
The August 2018 collapse sparked consternation across Italy. The accident happened in the pouring rain while families were on their way to Liguria for the summer holidays. “I saw lightning strike the bridge – and then the overpass collapsed,” said an eyewitness. Vehicles plunged 40 meters and became entangled in the rubble. Hundreds who lived under the high bridge were made homeless. The remains of the building were demolished. In August 2020, a new bridge, designed by star architect Renzo Piano, was inaugurated, called “Ponte San Giorgio”.
“The collapse of the bridge is the zero point of Genoa. For us Genoese, the collapse of the Morandi Bridge is a terrible tragedy. We mourn the loss of life, but at the same time look to the future,” said the city’s mayor, Marco Bucci.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
