A man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in relation to the death of Emiliano Sala, the Argentine footballer who died in a plane crash back in January.
Sala had just completed a transfer from French Ligue 1 side Nantes to Cardiff City when the small plane he was travelling in crashed into the English Channel on January 21st when it was en route to the Welsh capital. The transfer had been a club record club record £15m (€17.2m) move.
Both 28-year-old Sala and the pilot of the plane, David Ibbotson, died in the crash after the plane lost contact with air traffic control just north of Guernsey.
A spokesperson for Dorset Police has today said a 64-year-old man from North Yorkshire had been arrested and released while investigations continue.
The force added the families of the two men who died had been informed.
Detective Inspector Simon Huxter, of the force's Major Crime Investigation Team, said: "As part of this investigation we have to consider whether there is any evidence of any suspected criminality and as a result of our inquiries we have today, Wednesday 19 June 2019, arrested a 64-year-old man from the North Yorkshire area on suspicion of manslaughter by an unlawful act.
"He is assisting with our inquiries and has been released from custody under investigation."
Sala's body was recovered from the English Channel back in February but the remains of Mr Ibbotson have never been recovered.
Aviation authorities later confirmed that Mr Ibbotson - who is thought to have been colour-blind - did not have a 'night rating' on his UK private pilot permit.
Earlier this month, Wiltshire Police said two people were set to face charges over a photograph showing Mr Sala at the Holly Tree Lodge mortuary in Bournemouth. They are set to appear before Swindon Magistrates’ Court on July 10.
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