Geneva French owners of A bar in a Swiss ski resort town went up in flames They will be asked on New Year’s Eve on Friday, according to sources close to the investigation. French couple Jacques and Jessica Moretti owned and operated the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, which was full of young revelers when the fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. on January 1.
40 people died, most of them teenagers, and 116 were injured.
The couple, accused of negligent homicide, negligent damage and negligent arson, will be questioned by prosecutors in the nearby town of Sion, a source close to the investigation told AFP on Thursday on condition of anonymity.
Antonio Calanni / AP 
This will be the first time investigators have questioned the couple since the charges against them he announced on Saturday.
The couple, who have not been arrested, said in a statement on Tuesday that they were “devastated and grief-stricken” and pledged their “full cooperation” with investigators.
“We will not try to avoid these issues in any way,” they said.
Several questions have been raised about whether fire safety standards were followed at the bar, where prosecutors believe the fire started when champagne bottles with sparks were raised too close to the soundproofing foam on the ceiling of the bar’s basement section.
On Tuesday, city officials admitted that no fire safety inspections had been carried out at Le Constellation since 2019.
Questions have also been raised about the couple’s background and numerous real estate holdings.
French newspaper Le Parisien reported earlier this week Jacques Moretti was known to the authorities and had been in prison in the south of France for about 20 years on charges related to prostitution and kidnapping.
Sebastien Fanti, a lawyer representing four relatives of the injured, welcomed the news that Moretti will be questioned in the case, telling AFP he hoped the “revival of the investigation would be welcomed”.
The questioning will be based on the couple’s personal situation, another source close to the case reported.
“Establishing the personal situation of the defendants, especially from an economic point of view, is essential,” Romain Jordan, a lawyer representing several families, told AFP.
Once the investigation is complete, the Wallis County District Attorney’s Office will decide whether to file charges against the couple or dismiss the case.