Espaillat's lawyer claims his client's rights have been respected

Santo Domingo, R.D. — Attorney Jorge Luis Polanco went this Friday morning to the preventive jail of the Palace of Justice of Ciudad Nueva to visit his client, Antonio Espaillat López, who was arrested yesterday by the Public Ministry, accused of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the collapse of the roof of the Jet Set nightclub, which occurred on the morning of April 8.

During his visit, lawyer Polanco stated that his clients have acted in accordance with legal procedures and their rights have been respected. "These people appeared in compliance with the formal request made by the Public Prosecutor's Office, and then they were notified of the arrest," he pointed out. In turn, he added that he is waiting for the Public Ministry to file the request for coercive measure before the Permanent Attention Office of the National District, both against Espaillat and against his sister, Maribel Espaillat, also linked to the investigation.

Read more: Antonio Espaillat and Maribel Espaillat Accused of Involuntary Manslaughter

“We have to wait for them to formulate their requests to analyze them and then set the position around each of those budgets,” Polanco indicated when approached by journalists outside the courthouse. The tragedy left a toll of 236 people dead and more than 180 injured, and has generated a wide mobilization of the Dominican judicial authorities in search of those responsible for the act.