ROME, July 16 (Xinhua) -- An Italian court on Thursday sentenced Giovanni Castellucci, former chief executive officer of highway operator Autostrade per l'Italia (ASPI), to 12 years in prison over the 2018 collapse of Genoa's Morandi Bridge that killed 43 people, according to the ANSA news agency.
Castellucci was among 57 defendants, including former ASPI managers and technical officials from its maintenance and road-safety subsidiary SPEA, who stood trial in connection with the disaster.
According to prosecutors, several defendants had been aware of structural risks affecting the freeway viaduct but failed to take adequate measures to prevent the collapse. ASPI and SPEA were no longer parties to the criminal proceedings after reaching a plea agreement to pay about 30 million euros (35 million U.S. dollars) in compensation, ANSA reported.
Castellucci is already serving a six-year prison sentence in a separate case related to a 2013 coach crash on the A16 freeway near Monteforte Irpino in southern Italy that claimed 40 lives.
The Morandi Bridge collapsed on Aug. 14, 2018, becoming one of Italy's deadliest infrastructure disasters in recent decades. A new bridge designed by renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano opened in August 2020 to replace the destroyed structure, according to ANSA. ■