A Dominican court on Thursday granted bail to two siblings accused of manslaughter after a roof collapse at their nightclub killed 236 people.
Antonio and Maribel Espaillat, owners of the Jet Set club, were arrested last week following the tragedy that unfolded during a concert by merengue star Rubby Perez on April 8.
Perez, 69, was among those who died, alongside two retired Major League Baseball players and a provincial governor.
Antonio Espaillat, 59, stated that the club’s roof had been leaking for years but had never undergone an official inspection.
Prosecutors charged the siblings with “immense irresponsibility and negligence” for neglecting necessary repairs.
Currently, the Dominican Republic lacks laws requiring safety inspections for private buildings—a gap President Luis Abinader has pledged to address.
Each sibling was granted bail set at 50 million pesos (approximately $842,500), with restrictions preventing them from leaving the country and requiring regular check-ins with authorities, defence lawyer Miguel Valerio confirmed after the hearing.
Valerio stated, “If the truth eventually determines that we bear criminal responsibility, then we will accept it.”
Prosecutor Wilson Camacho condemned the bail ruling, saying it “mocks the victims.”
The charge of involuntary manslaughter carries a prison sentence ranging from three months to two years.
The Espaillats face numerous lawsuits from victims’ families. The family, which owns a media empire and a restaurant in addition to the nightclub, has vowed full cooperation with the investigation.
