The convicted are 4 officers who were onboard the cruise ship at the time of the disaster and one person from the Costa cruises offices.
Costa cruises crisis coordinator, Roberto Ferranini will get the longest jail time serving two years and ten months. Manrico Giampedroni who was the ships hotel director will get two years and six months. Ciro Ambrosio, Chief operator officer will get one year and eleven months in prison. Silvia Coronica, the third officer will get eighteen months behind bars. Jacob Rusli Bin, Helmsman will get the lowest amount of prison time at twenty months.
Captain Francesco Schettino of the Costa Concordia cruise ship has had his plea bargain rejected by prosecutors. The lawyers put forward the plea but got no positive outcome for the ship captain.
Schettino lawyers put forward the plea bargain in exchange for being guilty and serving three years and five months behind bars. A similar plea was made back in May along with several other officials including the head of crisis coordinator of Costa cruises.
Lawyers of Schettino are also asking for extra time so they can get more evidence from the ship wreckage. Costa Concordia is still listed on the rocks of the Island of Giglio off the coast of Italy.
Schettino could face up to twenty years in prison if found guilty but the trial is expected to last well into 2014.
The opening of the trial heard many passengers accounts of the disaster. Also all the names of the 32 deceased were read out to the court.
The Costa Concordia ship which is currently half under water on the Italian island of Giglio is due to be raised this September. No official date has yet been announced. However, It was recently announced that the salvage operation to recover the Concordia ship will probably be delayed until 2014. The reason was due to many organizations not agreeing and making sure safety procedures are a hundred percent ready.
Two salvage companies are now responsible for putting the ship up right so it can be taken away. The companies are shortly expected to complete preparations to refloat the ship using blister tank technology to stabilize the ships bow so it doesn't fall apart while the operation is in progress. Eleven other tanks have also been installed to provide buoyancy.
The operation will take approximately 10 hours and once it's complete authorities will search for two passengers who are still missing. After this the Concordia will then stay in it's position for up to ten months as preparations start to take the ship away from the island.
32 passengers and crew sadly died during the Costa Concordia tragedy. The Captain Schettino Francesco trial is set to continue on September 23rd.
