The co-owner of the Swiss bar, which was destroyed by a deadly fire during New Year’s Eve celebrations, was accused of forgery on Friday. This is another of the numerous charges that she and her husband face in connection with the New Year’s tragedy in which 41 people died. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency. During the interrogation, the Swiss prosecutor’s office confirmed that Jessica Moretti is accused of falsifying the document. This is an invoice that should be key. However, her lawyers claim that she is innocent and this document is not related to the case.
The bill was for noise-absorbing foam that was used on the ceiling of the bar and, according to prosecutors, ignited when people raised champagne bottles with sparklers above their heads. Moretti’s lawyers said their client voluntarily provided the invoice for the 2015 purchase to investigators. “It was a real purchase that was just accounted for under a different name,” they said, insisting that the allegation was “definitely unrelated” to the tragedy. The Swiss media also remind that the co-owner of the bar could have adjusted the invoice for tax reasons and may not have a direct connection with the tragedy.
However, lawyers for the victims’ families see it differently. The invoice raises “very legitimate questions”, said lawyer Christophe de Galembert. “We don’t have the answers,” he added. At the end of the 10-hour hearing, lawyer Yael Hayat said his client Jessica Moretti “sometimes feels like she’s actually being criticized for being a survivor.” A mother whose 16-year-old son died in the tragedy was also present during the interrogation. She accused the Morettis of “playing the victim”. “They bear no responsibility…
How do you expect us parents, who visit our children’s graves every day, to respond?” she said. The Morettis have been questioned twice since the investigation began, but most recently in February and never together. Lawyers for the victims’ families therefore criticize that Friday’s hearing came too late and that little was done to prevent tampering with evidence and possible collusion between the witnesses.
“This is a couple living in the same household. That is the height of possible collusion,” said lawyer Gilles-Antoine Hofstetter. “There is a high probability that their versions are coordinated,” he added. Jessica and Jacques Moretti are also charged with negligent homicide and negligent arson in connection with the fire at their Le Constellation bar in the Crans-Montana ski resort. A total of fourteen people are being investigated in connection with this tragedy, including several current and former local officials.
