Bar owner from Crans-Montana held on remand for domestic violence
Jacques Moretti, owner of the burnt-out bar "Le Constellation", was arrested for serious assault of his wife. The couple is already under investigation following the fire that claimed 41 lives.
Moretti back in custody after fire disaster – this time for violence against wife
The owner of the bar "Le Constellation" in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana is being held on remand. Jacques Moretti was arrested for violence against his wife Jessica Moretti, according to n-tv citing television station Léman Bleu. He allegedly assaulted her so severely that she had to be admitted to hospital.
The couple has been under investigation pressure since the devastating fire on New Year's Eve. The fire in the basement of the bar killed 41 people, mostly young guests; 115 others were injured. Both bar owners are being investigated for negligent manslaughter, negligent bodily harm, and negligent arson.
The Morettis' lawyers stated on Sunday evening that the new allegations concerned "exclusively the private life" of the couple. At the same time, they acknowledged that these stood "in a context that cannot be ignored: that of a particularly severe ordeal which the two have been trying to face together since 1 January".
In June, the public prosecutor already expanded charges against Jessica Moretti. In addition to the fire-related allegations, she now also faces charges of forgery of documents. Specifically, it concerns an invoice from 2015 that is connected with the purchase of foam materials during renovation work at the venue at that time.
This connection is significant for the fire investigation: the authorities suspect that the fire was triggered by firework fountains attached to bottles that came too close to the ceiling. This was apparently lined with that foam material.
In addition to the operating couple, other parties are coming under scrutiny. The municipality of Crans-Montana has already admitted that no fire safety inspections had been carried out at the bar since 2019 – although these are legally required annually.
Source: n-tv