New Zealand commander James Cutfield was questioned for two hours by magistrates on Sunday.
James Cutfield, captain of the Bayesian, the yacht that sank last Monday at Porticello, near Palermo, is being investigated for negligent sinking and multiple homicides. Seven people died in the accident.
The New Zealand commander was questioned for two hours on Sunday by magistrates from the Termini Imerese public prosecutor’s office, for the second time in a week.
Points to clarify about the Bayesian shipwreck
The yacht manager responded in particular to what happened between 3:50 a.m., when the weather conditions began to deteriorate, and 4:06 a.m., when the automatic sinking signal was triggered.
There are also doubts about why 32 minutes elapsed between the time of the sinking and the launching of the distress flare.
The magistrates are also said to have asked for clarification on the contacts between the captain and the crew member responsible for weather warnings.
It is not excluded that other members of the crew will be investigated in the coming days.
Autopsies of victims scheduled for Tuesday
The autopsies are expected to begin on Tuesday and last until Thursday. They will be carried out in Palermo.
Two bodies are in the Institute of Forensic Medicine of the University Hospital, the other five in the Rotoli cemetery. The bodies of British tycoon Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, his wife Anne Elizabeth, lawyer and former New York prosecutor Chris Morvillo, his wife Nada and chef Thomas Recaldo will be examined.