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Bar Manager Detained After Deadly New Year’s Eve Blaze, Bail Possible
CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland – A Swiss court has ordered three months of pretrial detention for Jacques Moretti, a manager of Le Constellation bar, following a devastating New Year’s Eve fire that claimed 40 lives and injured 116 others. The tragic incident, which primarily affected young revelers, has shocked the community and prompted a criminal investigation.
The court of compulsory measures in the Valais canton cited a “flight risk” as the primary reason for Moretti’s detention. However, the court indicated a willingness to lift the three-month hold if “security measures,” potentially including bail, are put into place. Moretti is expected to remain in custody until these arrangements are finalized.
Attempts to reach Patrick Michod, Moretti’s lawyer, were unsuccessful. A Swiss business register identifies Jacques and Jessica Moretti, a French couple, as the bar’s owners. Lawyers representing Jessica Moretti issued a statement suggesting the court’s decision would pave the way for her husband’s release once the stipulated conditions are met.
Swiss authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the owners, who face suspicions of involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm, and involuntarily causing a fire.
Investigators currently believe the inferno was sparked by sparkling candles coming into contact with soundproofing material on the ceiling. Authorities are examining whether the soundproofing material met safety regulations and if the candles were permitted for use within the establishment. It has also come to light that the bar had not undergone fire safety inspections since 2019.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin expressed the nation’s profound distress over the tragedy, stating on Friday that Switzerland was “appalled.”