The captain of an Italian luxury liner which ran
aground in January is taking ship owner Costa Crociere to court for
firing him and is demanding his job back, Italy's Repubblica newspaper
said.
Francesco Schettino, who is being investigated for causing the shipwreck
which claimed 32 lives and abandoning the Costa Concordia before
everyone had been evacuated, was fired by Costa at the end of July, the
report said, AFP reports.
“Costa Crociere confirms that it has concluded the disciplinary
procedure against Schettino following the Costa Concordia shipwreck,
ordering his dismissal,'' the company, Europe's biggest cruise
operator, told Italian media.
The captain, who expects to find out next week whether he will face
trial along with eight others for his role in the tragedy, has claimed
his actions saved lives and insists Costa reinstate him and hand over
back pay.
Schettino’s lawyer, Bruno Leporatti, was not available for comment.
A pre-trial hearing in the Tuscan town of Grosseto on Monday will
establish whether prosecutors have a case against Schettino, who is
accused of performing a risky “salute’’ manoeuvre close to Giglio
island where the ship hit rocks.
Five other crew members and three Costa executives are also being
investigated, including Roberto Ferrarini, Costa's fleet crisis
coordinator, who was in regular contact with Schettino on the night of
the tragedy.
The captain is under house arrest in his home town of Meta di Sorrento,
near Naples, but is expected to request permission to attend the
closed-door hearing, where experts will present results of analysis of
black box data.