The Verbania Prosecutor's Office has requested the trial of six suspects and two companies for the Mottarone cable car accident, which occurred on the morning of Sunday 23 May 2021 on the Stresa-Alpino-Mottarone cable car, in which 14 people died, including two children and one survived just a six year old.
In addition to the two companies, these are Luigi Nerini, owner of Ferrovie del Mottarone, Enrico Perocchio and Gabriele Tadini, then respectively operations manager and service manager of the plant and, for Leitner, the group in charge of maintenance, Anton Seeber, chairman of the board of directors, Martin Leitner, managing director and Peter Rabanser, head of Customer Service.
The charges contested for various reasons are attack on transport safety, intentional removal or omission of precautions against accidents at work, negligent disaster, multiple manslaughter, very serious negligent injuries and only for Tadini and Perocchio also forgery. Now the word goes to the magistrate.
The investigations, coordinated by the Prosecutor Olimpia Bossi and the prosecutor Laura Carrera, were closed on May 19th, a few days after the second anniversary of the tragedy.
Two elements are at the center of the investigation: the reasons why the haul rope broke and the failure of the safety braking system, due to the insertion of the so-called forks. To ascertain the causes of the accident, two expert reports were produced, filed in September last year and subsequently discussed during the evidentiary incident between October and December, which found that the rope was corroded well before the accident and correct maintenance could have detected it . According to prosecutors, savings on personnel costs, maintenance and safety were behind the tragedy. Meanwhile, negotiations continue regarding compensation to the injured parties who, in the event of an agreement, could exit the proceedings.
Meanwhile, the Leitner group rejects all accusations and reiterates that the responsibility lies with those who decided to insert the forks, eliminating "the safety measures" of the system. « Leitner - we read in a note - strongly reiterates his belief that he is not liable to any form of charge in relation to the facts alleged against the company and its top management; in fact, during the investigation it clearly emerged that the accident was attributable to malicious conduct on the part of third parties who eliminated the safety devices that appeared to be present on the Mottarone cable car. In any case, Leitner renews her trust in the work of the Judiciary and is confident of being able to clarify her total non-involvement in the contested facts and correctness of her actions".
(Unioneonline/D)
