The saga surrounding the company behind the ill-fated Bayeian yacht is unfolding like a gripping drama. Following the tragic incident in August, which claimed the lives of seven people when the yacht sank, The Italian Sea Group (TISG), owner of Perini Navi, filed court papers seeking $247 million in damages from the crew of the Bayesian yacht and tech tycoon Mike Lynch’s widow.
However, in a surprising turn of events, the Daily Mail reported that the boatbuilder behind Lynch’s $40 million yacht had no involvement in the lawsuit filed in a Sicilian court on Friday. They were reportedly among the last to learn about the case, which made global headlines after being covered by local media.
Tommaso Bertuccelli, the lawyer who filed the lawsuit on behalf of TISG, acted without the company’s knowledge or permission. Consequently, Bertuccelli has been dismissed. The writ, which insensitively suggested that the responsibility for the yacht’s sinking lay with Lynch’s widow and the crew, also claimed that the incident led to a loss of earnings for the manufacturer, founded by Giovanni Costantino in the early 1950s, tarnishing its reputation. TISG, in response, has withdrawn the lawsuit and clarified that the claims were unauthorized and that the case is still under investigation, making it premature to file any legal action.
Although TISG is now attempting to rectify this misstep, some damage has already been done, with the shipbuilder being criticized for its perceived insensitivity. A source close to the family told the Times, “The Italian Sea Group should be ashamed. Giovanni Costantino is a disgrace, desperately trying to shift blame. He rushed to the media before all the bodies had even been recovered, showing his lack of decency. Now, it seems, he wants to sue his own clients.”
While the company has tried to clarify its position, it will take significant effort to address the fallout from the yacht’s sinking near Palermo on the Italian island of Sicily during a freak storm last month.
