New Video Allegedly Shows Costa Concordia Captain Abandoning Ship

Schettino allegedly be seen in the video wearing a suit and tie.

Prosecutors in the manslaughter trial of the former captain of the Costa Concordia have presented to the court a new video allegedly showing the captain waiting to board a lifeboat on the night of the 2012 disaster.

The new video, which was reportedly filmed by the Italian Fire Service as the ship sank along the shore of Giglio, shows a man in a suit and tie standing next to one of the Costa Concordia’s lifeboats as others still scrambled down the deck.

If proven to be Captain Schettino, it would contradict his previous claims that he was thrown into a lifeboat as the ship listed heavily. Here’s the clip below:

The video comes one day after Schettino took the stand for the first time in his trial on charges of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship with passengers still onboard. In his first day of testimony, Schettino told the court that he steered the ship close to shore as a favor to one of the head waiters onboard, to impress guests and islanders, and as a tribute to a close friend of his that was on the island. On Wednesday, Schettino insisted that his decision to hold off on the order to abandon ship for more than an hour after first hitting rocks actually saved lives because by that time the ship had drifted closer to shore.

Throughout the trial, Schettino and his defense have attempted to shift blame to others as none of the 32 passengers and crew who perished were killed in the collision itself, rather their deaths were the result of a failed evacuation.

If convicted, Schettino could face 20 years in prison.

The trial is taking place in Grosseto, Italy.

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