40 people died in the fire at the “Le Constellation” bar in Crans-Montana. Now a court has confirmed the bar manager’s pre-trial detention.
afp/dpa | Almost two weeks after Brandkatastrophe von Crans-Montana The owner of the bar in question, Jacques Moretti, must be in custody. The responsible coercive measures court in Sitten (Sion) in the Swiss canton of Valais approved the public prosecutor’s application.
After more than six hours of questioning, the public prosecutor’s office in the canton of Valais decided on Friday to take Jacques Moretti into custody, citing, among other things, the risk of escape. Moretti’s wife, however, remained at large. Moretti is French. The couple’s lawyers emphasized that the two had no intention of evading the investigation.
The French operator couple Jacques and Jessica Moretti are being investigated on suspicion of negligent homicide and bodily harm.
In the fire on New Year’s Eve in the bar Le Constellation, 40 people, mostly very young people, died. 116 were injured, around 80 are still in hospitals, including in Germany, with mostly severe burns.
The bar owner is presumed innocent until the verdict is announced
The pre-trial detention is initially limited to three months. The court said Moretti could be released again if certain securities were provided. “It is therefore not a question of punishing the defendant, as he is considered innocent until a possible verdict comes into force,” it continues.
The accident resulted in fire breaking out during the New Year’s Eve party in the two-story bar at 1:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day. According to initial investigations, they were triggered by sparking party fountains that set foam on the ceiling on fire. Local authorities admitted that the bar was last inspected for fire safety measures in 2019, despite such inspections being required every year.
Last Friday Switzerland held a day of national mourning. Around 1,000 invited guests came to a memorial event in Martigny, including Italian President Sergio Mattarella and French President Emmanuel Macron. Many victims come from Italy and France.
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