The owner of Mandalay’s Sky Villa condominium, U Naing Htun Lin, has had his prison sentence increased from five years to seven years following a revision order issued by the Aungmyaythazan District Court on July 10, according to official information.

U Naing Htun Lin, whose condominium collapsed during the Mandalay earthquake that claimed more than 200 lives, was originally sentenced by the Aungmyaythazan Township Court on June 23 to five years’ imprisonment with hard labour after being found guilty under Section 304(a) of the Penal Code, which relates to causing death by a negligent act.

Following appeals and revision applications filed by both the prosecution and the defense, as well as a review ordered by the Mandalay Region High Court, the district court upheld the conviction but increased the sentence to seven years’ imprisonment. The court also dismissed the defendant’s appeal, according to a statement from the Aungmyaythazan District Court’s information officer.

The case was prosecuted by U Zaw Moe Aung, a staff officer from the Special Investigation Department.

The 11-storey Sky Villa condominium on 60th Street between 21st and 22nd Streets in Aungmyaythazan Township collapsed during the Mandalay earthquake, becoming one of the deadliest buildings in the disaster, with more than 200 bodies recovered from the site.

Following the tragedy, representatives of NT L Construction Company, including managing director U Naing Htun Lin’s wife, Daw Thet Thet Khaing, held three public apology ceremonies and provided compensation of 10 million kyats to the family of each victim who lost their life in the collapse.