Media: Bar owner in deadly Swiss blaze had prior legal ban on business activities

Jacques Moretti, the owner of the Swiss bar Le Constellation that was destroyed in a deadly fire, had earlier been convicted in France under legislation related to pimping and was prohibited from conducting business in European countries, as per French media.

Moretti denied the accusations during the trial, although he acknowledged that he had previously operated an establishment for several months whose activities were considered illegal under French law.

According to the publication, Moretti and another man were convicted in 2008 by a criminal court in the city of Annecy. At the time, Moretti was 32 years old. He received a one-year prison sentence, with eight months suspended, and a ban on engaging in business activities in France. His illegal operations, carried out together with an accomplice, began in 2005. Journalists reported that three French nationals were involved in recruiting young women to work in a Geneva massage parlour that allegedly offered prostitution services. Law enforcement agencies in both France and Switzerland investigated the case.

The fire at Le Constellation broke out in the early hours of January 1, while New Year's Eve celebrations were underway at the crowded basement venue. Prosecutors have stated that the blaze was likely caused by sparkling candles that ignited the ceiling.

Forty people died in the incident, ranging in age from 14 to 39. The victims included 21 Swiss nationals; nine French citizens, among them one Franco-Swiss individual and another holding French, Israeli, and British citizenship; six Italians, including one dual Italian-Emirati national; as well as one Belgian woman, one Portuguese woman, one Romanian man, and one Turkish man.

Crans-Montana, where the bar was located, is a major international tourist destination, and numerous foreign nationals were among the injured. Those hurt in the fire include 71 Swiss citizens, 14 French nationals — although France’s foreign ministry later cited a total of 16 — 11 Italians, four Serbs, one Belgian, one Bosnian, one person from Luxembourg, and one Polish and one Portuguese national.

Switzerland has declared Friday, January 9, a national day of mourning. Church bells across the country will ring at 2:00 p.m. local time, followed by a nationwide moment of silence.

By Tamilla Hasanova