The lawyer for the captain of the luxury yacht that sank off Sicily said he did not respond to prosecutors’ questions.

ROME (AP) — The lawyer for the captain of a luxury yacht that sank during a storm off Sicily last week, killing seven people, said he decided not to answer prosecutors’ questions Tuesday.

James Cutfield, a 51-year-old New Zealander, Under investigation He is accused of manslaughter and causing a shipwreck, and was questioned for the third time by prosecutors in Termini Imerese on Tuesday.

“He exercised his right to remain silent, and the prosecutors probably expected that,” his lawyer, Aldo Mordiglia, told The Associated Press, adding that the commander’s legal team had just been named and needed time to work on his defense strategy.

Catfield He was among 15 survivors of the ship’s sinking on August 19. who killed British tech mogul Mike LynchAnd his daughter Hannah and five others.

Prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio, who is leading the investigation, said his team would examine every possible element of liability including that of the captain, the crew, the individuals responsible for supervision and the yacht’s manufacturer.

the The 56-metre (184-foot) British-flagged luxury yacht “Bayzian” sank. Near an island in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of southern Italy, investigators are focusing on how a sailing ship deemed “unsinkable” by its manufacturer, the Italian shipyard Perini Navi, sank, while a nearby sailboat remained largely unscathed.

Prosecutors said the event was “extremely rapid” and may have been a “burst” – a strong local wind that descends from a thunderstorm and spreads quickly upon hitting the ground.

The crew was rescued except for the cook, while six passengers were trapped inside the ship’s hull.