Two British crew members of the Bayesian, the superyacht that sank off Sicily last week, have been placed under investigation by the local prosecutor’s office.
Tim Parker Eaton was in charge of the engine room on the night of the sinking, in which seven people were killed.
Both Mr Parker Eaton and Matthew Griffith, the lookout crew member on duty during the sinking, have been placed under investigation.
Sky News understands from sources close to the investigation that police officers are searching the crew bedrooms and have seized at least two phones.
Being investigated does not imply guilt and does not mean formal charges will follow.
It comes after the captain of the yacht decided not to respond to prosecutors’ questions.
James Cutfield, a 51-year-old from New Zealand, is under investigation for possible manslaughter and culpable shipwreck charges.
He was questioned for the third time by the prosecutors in the Sicilian town of Termini Imerese on Tuesday.
“He just exercised his right to remain silent, probably prosecutors were expecting that,” lawyer Aldo Mordiglia told the Associated Press, adding that the captain’s legal team has just been named and needs time to work on his defence strategy.
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Manslaughter investigation opened
Fifteen people survived the sinking last Monday, including all but one of the crew.
Among the seven people killed were British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah.
The bodies of the yacht’s chef Recaldo Thomas, as well as passengers Jonathan and Judy Bloomer, and Chris and Neda Morvillo, were all found trapped in the hull.
Read more:
Who was on superyacht that sank off Sicily?
What we know about disaster
Chief prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio, who is leading the investigation, has said his team would consider each possible element of responsibility including those of the captain, the crew, individuals in charge of supervision and the yacht’s manufacturer.
Prosecutors said the sinking was “extremely rapid” and could have been a “downburst” – a localised, powerful wind that descends from a thunderstorm and spreads out rapidly upon hitting the ground.