Crans-Montana fire probe summons fourth defendant

Prosecutors are determining what went wrong at the Constellation bar Keystone / Jean-Christophe Bott

Swiss prosecutors have summoned a fourth person to an investigation into the Crans-Montana fire tragedy, Swiss public broadcaster RTS has learned. He is the current head of the municipality's public security service.

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Four people are now defendants in the criminal investigation conducted by the Valais Public Prosecutor’s Office. Jacques and Jessica Moretti, managers of the Constellation bar that suffered a devastating New Year’s Eve fire claiming 40 lives, have already appeared before prosecutors.

+ Crans-Montana tragedy highlights limits of Swiss federal system

This week, the former safety inspector of the municipality of Crans-Montana was included in the investigation. In 2018 and 2019, he visited the premises of the Constellation bar and wrote inspection reports on the existing fire protection installations.

RTS has learned that the current head of the municipality’s public security service has also been summoned as a defendant next week. It is not known what allegations he is facing. But it has been established that no inspection of the Constellation has taken place since 2019, although there should in principle be one every year.

It is possible that prosecutors want to understand the reasons for this, and to delve into the controls of 2018 and 2019, which found nothing wrong with the acoustic foam installed at the bar.

RTS has also learned that the municipality of Crans-Montana will not be a party to the procedure despite having initially expressed a desire to have the status of complainant.

The goal was to have access to the criminal file and to be able to claim compensation for any harm suffered. After this request was refused by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the municipality then asked to be a “simple” party to the proceedings.

This status would grant access to the file but remove the right to claim compensation.

In an order dated January 27, the Public Prosecutor’s Office also rejected this request. The municipality now has ten days to appeal.

Adapted from French by AI/mga

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