Crans-Montana bar owner, where 40 people died in fire, released on 200,000 Swiss francs bail

A court in the Swiss canton of Valais on Friday ordered the release on bail of Jacques Moretti, co-owner with his wife of the bar in the Crans-Montana ski resort where a fire killed 40. among which and a Romanianand 116 other people were injured, transmits AFP, according to Agerpres.

After posting bail of 200,000 Swiss francs (about 215,000 euros), the court announced that it had “lifted the provisional detention” imposed on Jacques Moretti, without specifying whether he had already been released.

French citizen couple Jacques and Jessica Moretti are the main accused in the investigation.

As with Jessica Moretti, who remained at large, the court imposed measures to “counteract the risk of flight” on Jacques Moretti.

According to the court, it is about “classic measures” such as the ban on leaving Swiss territory, the obligation to hand over all identity documents to the Public Ministry, the obligation to report daily to a police station and the obligation to pay “guarantees” of 200,000 Swiss francs.

Jacques Moretti was in provisional detention since January 9.

The deprivation of liberty had been requested by the lawyers of the families of the victims, who were very critical of the way the cantonal authorities were conducting the procedure and especially of the liberty granted to the couple of owners.

Recalling that “everyone arrested benefits from the presumption of guilt” until a possible conviction, the court emphasized that “the cardinal principle in Swiss criminal procedure is that the arrested person remains at liberty until his trial”.

“The provisional detention to which the arrested person has been subjected until today was not intended to punish him already,” the court added.

The fire in the “Le Constellation” bar, whose victims were mostly teenagers and young adults, was caused, according to the investigation, by fireworks that ignited the sound-absorbing foam with which the ceiling of the basement of the bar was insulated.

The investigation should clarify the exact circumstances of the fire, compliance by the owners and the different responsibilities. The town hall of Crans-Montana recently admitted that since 2019 no safety and fire inspection had been carried out at the bar “Le Constellation”, a statement that caused dismay to some families.

As the owners of the place, Jacques and Jessica Moretti are the subject of a criminal investigation for “negligent murder, negligent bodily harm and negligent arson”.

They were heard on Tuesday and Wednesday by the justice of the canton of Vaud.

“The two hearings lasted over ten hours each, in the presence of 30 lawyers, some of whom were able to ask questions, but all of whom will be able to do so during the subsequent hearings,” the Public Ministry of Vaud indicated in a statement on Friday, without specifying when they will take place.