Court to decide Jet Set owners’ fate today

Santo Domingo.- A court hearing scheduled for Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. will determine whether siblings Antonio and Maribel Espaillat will be held in custody or allowed to remain free while facing charges in the high-profile Jet Set nightclub case. The hearing, initially set for Sunday, was postponed to give the defense team time to examine the case documents.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office is seeking 18 months of preventive detention for Antonio Espaillat and alternative measures such as house arrest or bail for his sister Maribel. Prosecutors are also requesting that the case be declared complex, citing the severity of the incident.

The Espaillats are charged with involuntary manslaughter after the roof of their Jet Set nightclub collapsed on April 8, killing 236 people, injuring over 180, and leaving 137 children orphaned. Evidence suggests the owners were aware of the ceiling’s deteriorating condition and failed to act. On the night of the disaster, an employee reportedly warned Maribel about the risk, but she declined to cancel the event, stating only her brother—who was abroad—could make that decision.

Prosecutors argue that the Espaillats were negligent despite repeated warnings, including messages from employee Gregorio Adames, who will serve as a key witness. Meanwhile, the defense insists the siblings should be allowed to await trial in freedom, citing their stable social and economic ties. Prosecutor Wilson Camacho will present arguments supporting the need for coercive measures.