Galway Bay fm newsroom - The director of an Irish College in Belgium could face jail over a 2014 house fire in which two GMIT students died.
The Leuven Institute for Ireland in Europe and its director Malachy Vallely have been named as defendants in the case, which has been heard by three judges in Belgium this week.
The fire broke out in the early hours of Friday 31 January, 2014 in a student apartment in the medieval university city.
19 year-old Sara Gibaldo from Oranmore and 22 year-old Dace Zarina from Longford died in the fire
Both of the women were second year students in the Bachelor of Business degree in hotel and catering management at GMIT and were on Erasmus placements at the time of the incident.
Written submissions for the families of the two women have already been lodged with court, as well as submissions from the defendants.
According to the Irish Independent, Belgian prosecutors are seeking a jail term for the director of the Irish College in Leuven in relation to the fire.
Malachy Vallely has been accused of using his apartment as a "cash cow" for 23 years by renting it back to the college.
The court has been told that fire safety in the apartment was “completely lacking”.
The hearing has been adjourned until the 5th of September, when a verdict will be delivered.
