Genoa Bridge Disaster: Ex-Motorway Chief Gets 12-Year Sentence

In a landmark ruling, Giovanni Castellucci, the former CEO of Autostrade per l’Italia (Aspi), has been handed a 12-year jail term following the tragic collapse of Genoa’s Morandi bridge in August 2018. The disaster occurred during a rainstorm, sending vehicles plummeting to the ground and resulting in 43 fatalities.

Castellucci, who is already serving a separate six-year sentence for a prior road incident, was among 57 individuals facing charges. Prosecutors had sought a significantly longer sentence for Castellucci, arguing that the maintenance of the aging viaduct was repeatedly neglected and that crucial warnings were ignored.

Other key figures also received jail time. Michele Donferri Mitelli, another senior Aspi official, was sentenced to 11 years. Paolo Berti, Castellucci’s former second-in-command, received a five-and-a-half-year sentence. Engineers from the maintenance firm Spea and former transport ministry officials were also among the defendants.

Victims’ families expressed mixed reactions to the verdict. Emmanuel Diaz, whose brother perished in the collapse, stated he was “very satisfied,” while Egle Possetti, who lost her sister and her family, found the 12-year sentence for Castellucci “acceptable.”

Defence lawyers had argued that the collapse was due to a design flaw rather than negligence in maintenance. Despite the acquittals and varied sentences, the trial aimed to bring accountability for the devastating structural failure of the bridge, originally built in 1967.

This verdict comes after Aspi’s current head, Arrigo Giana, issued a public apology, acknowledging “indelible scars” caused by past actions and decisions.

Source: Nile Post