Freedom could cost Jacques and Jessica Moretti 400,000 Swiss francs, approximately 430,000 euros. This is the amount of bail requested by the Sion Public Prosecutor's Office for the owners of the Constellation hotel in Crans-Montana , who are under investigation for homicide, assault, and arson following the New Year's Eve fire that killed 40 people and injured 116.
While waiting for the Guarantee Court to rule, also defining which precautionary measures to apply, such as an electronic bracelet, the man remains in prison, while his wife is subject to the obligation to sign and a ban on leaving the country, having also had to surrender her passport .
Switzerland is also working to develop a package of economic assistance for the victims' families, including emergency measures, assistance with medical expenses, and later more substantial compensation. Various initiatives, many already regulated by a federal law on assistance to crime victims, will provide payments that, in some cases, would exceed two hundred thousand francs. This obviously excludes the insurance issue, which will need to be resolved in light of the judicial outcome.
Meanwhile, in Italy, the Rome prosecutor's office is continuing its investigation into multiple manslaughter, negligent assault, and arson. Under its mandate, the Milan prosecutor's office today sent the lawyers representing the families of Chiara Costanzo and Achille Barosi a notice scheduling an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Furthermore, Antonio Bana and Stefano Cassamagnaghi, lawyers representing Achille's parents, are filing a civil action in the Swiss investigation.
Ambassador Gian Lorenzo Cornado met today in Sion with Stéphane Ganzer, State Councilor for Security of the Canton of Valais, the equivalent of the Interior Minister, receiving "assurances that the investigation will be conducted rigorously and independently." According to the diplomat, "the leadership of the Canton of Valais is cooperating fully with the Italian authorities and is fully committed: they too expect answers because this tragedy also involves victims from Valais."
The Valais Court's order regarding the precautionary measures for the Morettis is expected in the next few hours . These measures were proposed by investigators exactly a week ago, after a marathon interrogation lasting nearly seven hours. The measures were motivated by a risk of flight, only partially granting the requests of the victims' lawyers, who also cited the risk of tampering with evidence. "Both the risk of tampering with evidence and the risk of flight are sufficient to arrest the couple in pre-trial detention," Nina Fournier, representing some of the victims, wrote to the prosecutor's office. She also requested the seizure of all the couple's assets and properties. Mikael Guerra, another lawyer representing the victims, emphasized that "the risk of flight is concrete and serious, especially given the ban on practicing their profession issued by the municipality on January 5th. Consequently, any economic interests of the French couple in Switzerland have now ceased, thus revealing a weakening, if not an absence, of professional activity in Switzerland." According to Guerra, "the ease of leaving the territory as French citizens, especially given the presence of land borders, does not guarantee any control over their presence and availability."
(Unioneonline)