Rome -
The captain of the shipwrecked Costa Concordia cruise liner should be jailed for 26 years and three months, Italian prosecutors said on Monday, delivering closing arguments in the trial against Francesco Schettino.
Standing as the sole defendant before a court in Grosseto, central Italy, the 54-year-old Schettino is facing several charges that include manslaughter, negligence and abandoning ship.
The trial is due to continue this week with closing arguments from lawyers representing plaintiffs, and next week from Schettino's defence counsel.
A verdict is expected to be delivered in the following week.
The Concordia hit rocks and partially capsized on the night of January 13, 2012, after it was taken off route and steered close to the island of Giglio.
Evacuation procedures were chaotic, and Schettino left the vessel before they were completed.
Thirty-two of the 4 229 people who were on board died in the accident. - Sapa-dpa