Swiss fire bar owner officially remanded in custody

Bar owner of "Le Constellation" officially remanded in custody Keystone-SDA

A Swiss court has ordered the pre-trial detention of the owner of a bar that went up in flames on New Year's Eve, causing the death of 40 people.

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Jacques Moretti, who co-owned the Contellation bar in Crans-Montana, was placed under detention for a period of three months, the court in canton Valais announced on Monday.

+ Crans-Montana fire highlights limits of Swiss federalism

The court thus confirmed the public prosecutor’s request for pre-trial detention. Valais Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud had requested the arrest on Friday, citing the risk of flight as the reason. Moretti’s wife, however, remains at large.

In the statement, the court declared itself “prepared to lift the pre-trial detention provided that various measures requested by the public prosecutor’s office – including in particular the deposit of collateral – are taken.”

These measures are considered to be appropriate to counteract the risk of absconding.

The court also said that “pre-trial detention is a procedural detention that serves exclusively to ensure the proper conduct of the investigation”.

The presumption of innocence continues to apply to Jacques Moretti.

Adapted from German with AI/mga

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