Crans-Montana bar owner questioned again over deadly fire

Jacques Moretti returned to questioning in Sion on Monday, November 2, 2026, as survivors and victims’ relatives sought answers about the Constellation bar fire. Moretti arrived at the Energypolis campus in a police van, avoiding cameras and relatives gathered for the hearing. The New Year’s Day blaze killed 41 people and injured 115.

Several survivors attended a hearing for the first time, alongside relatives represented by lawyers. They want a full account of how the fire unfolded and answers to unresolved questions in the case. Moretti, represented by lawyer Patrick Michod, is one of 17 people under investigation.

The hearing had been scheduled as a face-to-face confrontation between Jacques and Jessica Moretti. Prosecutors postponed Jessica’s appearance until December 2, citing what they called “a particularly severe state of mental fragility”.

The investigation names 17 people, including the bar-owning couple and local public officials. The proceedings also involve eight current and former politicians from Crans-Montana and the former municipality of Chermignon, as well as seven municipal officials and former employees.

The main allegations against those under investigation are manslaughter, causing bodily harm through negligence and arson through negligence. These are allegations within an ongoing investigation, not findings of guilt. Since early June, Jessica Moretti has also faced a charge of falsifying documents.

Jacques Moretti has been in pre-trial detention since mid-August on charges of domestic violence against his wife. His further questioning took place against that legal backdrop, while prosecutors postponed the planned confrontation with Jessica. Earlier hearings involving the couple took place on January 9 and 20 and February 12. They were also questioned face to face on June 5.

A separate inquiry is examining alleged money laundering linked to bank-account activity. In a letter to the public prosecutor’s office, Moretti’s lawyer said his client would not answer questions from civil parties’ lawyers about any instances of money laundering.

Investigators have opened a separate line of inquiry into the alleged offences. The case file includes a Fedpol report that flagged “anomalous” movements and “opaque transactions” in bank accounts. The allegations remain under investigation.

The money-laundering questions sit alongside the main fire case, which centres on alleged negligence and the deaths and injuries at Le Constellation. The lawyer’s stated position applies to questions from civil parties’ lawyers about money laundering. Survivors and relatives attended Monday’s hearing with their own lawyers as they pressed for a fuller account of the sequence of events.

Jessica Moretti is due to face questioning on December 2, after prosecutors postponed Monday’s planned appearance because of her mental state. The hearing had been intended as a renewed face-to-face confrontation with Jacques Moretti, following the couple’s earlier confrontation on June 5.

The postponement leaves the investigation’s next scheduled questioning date in view while Jacques Moretti’s case continues. He appeared in Sion on November 2, and survivors and relatives were present with lawyers. Their stated aim is to establish the sequence of events and shed light on remaining questions around the fire.

The proceedings extend beyond the couple to politicians, municipal officials and former employees. The allegations under examination include manslaughter, bodily harm through negligence and arson through negligence. Jessica Moretti also faces a document-falsification charge, while investigators separately examine alleged money laundering.