The captain of the luxury yacht owned by the family of British tech magnate Mike Lynch, which sank off the coast of Sicily last week, declined to respond to prosecutors during questioning on Tuesday, according to one of his lawyers.
Investigation and Initial Suspicions
James Cutfield, a 51-year-old New Zealand national and captain of the luxury yacht, was placed under investigation by Italian prosecutors on Monday. This follows the tragic deaths of business tycoon Mike Lynch, his daughter, and four others who died when the yacht sank last week. Prosecutors suspect that the sinking of the yacht may have resulted from negligence or miscalculation by the crew, as the vessel was designed to withstand severe weather conditions at sea. The incident has raised numerous questions, particularly regarding why the yacht sank so quickly.
The circumstances surrounding the event have led to suspicions of underlying mismanagement that may have contributed to the sinking and the deaths of those on board. The captain has been brought in for questioning to help determine the cause of the accident, which has shocked both Italy and Britain.
However, being placed under investigation in Italy does not imply guilt, nor does it necessarily mean that formal charges will follow. It remains unclear whether other crew members or individuals will also be placed under investigation.
Skepticism Surrounding the Captain’s Silence
The captain’s refusal to answer questions has raised skepticism as to why he is evading inquiry. Giovanni Rizzuti, one of the captain’s lawyers, explained that the captain exercised his right to remain silent for two fundamental reasons:
“First, he is extremely exhausted. Second, we were only appointed on Monday, and to build a thorough and proper defense, we need to gather data that we currently do not have.” However, this explanation has done little to help the argument that the silence may be an attempt to delay the investigation.
Ongoing Investigation and Environmental Monitoring
Discovering the full truth of the incident will take some time, Lynch and six others were killed when the British-flagged yacht, the Bayesian, a 56-meter-long (184-foot) vessel, capsized and sank on August 19, within minutes of being struck by a pre-dawn storm while anchored off northern Sicily. Prosecutors have said that the investigation will require the salvage of the wreck, which currently lies on its right side at a depth of approximately 50 meters.
Meanwhile, the coastguard is conducting ongoing monitoring of the environmental conditions in the area where the yacht sank. In a statement on Tuesday, they reported, “At the moment, we have not detected any leaks from the tanks, and there are no signs of oil pollution.”
