Bar owner from Crans-Montana arrested again over domestic violence
Jacques Moretti, main defendant in the Crans-Montana fire trial, is back in custody – this time for bodily harm against his wife.
Moretti back in custody – domestic violence in Valais
Jacques Moretti, bar owner and one of the main defendants in the criminal proceedings relating to the fire disaster in Crans-Montana, is back in pre-trial detention. According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the 50-year-old Frenchman was arrested at his home in Valais on the night of 12 August – on suspicion of domestic violence against his wife Jessica Moretti.
Swiss television channel "Léman Bleu" first reported the arrest. According to their report, Moretti allegedly beat his wife so severely that she required hospital treatment.
The renewed arrest is not directly connected to the fire on New Year's Eve, which occurred in Moretti's bar "Constellation". The fire claimed the lives of 41 predominantly young people, with more than 100 injured. Jessica Moretti had been working in the bar that night but managed to escape the inferno unharmed. She is also among the 16 defendants under investigation for offences including negligent manslaughter, negligent arson and grievous bodily harm.
The couple's lawyers issued a statement explaining that the recent incidents are the subject of a separate proceeding and concern exclusively their clients' private life. They must not be conflated with the tragedy at the "Constellation". At the same time, the defence acknowledged: "However, they stand in a context that cannot be overlooked: an exceptionally difficult trial that the Morettis have been attempting to face together since 1 January."
In the main proceedings regarding the fire, a central material finding continues to play a role: the devastating fire was triggered by sparking fountains attached to champagne bottles. A waitress was sitting with two such bottles on a colleague's shoulders whilst also wearing an advertising helmet from the champagne manufacturer – she did not notice that the sparks reached the ceiling, where the acoustic insulation material installed there immediately caught fire.
The insulation material in question appeared to be cheap foam. The cantonal fire safety regulations stipulate that building materials on ceilings and walls of publicly accessible establishments must be non-flammable or at most difficult to ignite.
In the course of the investigation, Moretti became entangled in contradictions regarding the source of the material. Initially, he claimed to have purchased the foam from a local Hornbach store, where an employee supposedly confirmed its suitability for a commercial basement bar. However, it emerged that Hornbach did not stock this insulation material at the time in question. Moretti then produced an invoice from a German supplier – which turned out to be a forgery. In early June, Jessica Moretti admitted during questioning that she had forged the receipt. Since then, prosecutors have been investigating the couple also for document forgery.
Source: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung