The owner of the Swiss ski bar at the center of the New Year's Day blaze that killed 40 people and injured 119 has a troubling criminal past, authorities revealed on Sunday. He previously served time in prison for fraud, kidnapping, and false imprisonment, and was also known to have worked as a pimp.
French national Jacques Moretti, who is in his 60s, now faces charges over the deadly fire at Le Constellation in Crans–Montana, Switzerland, on New Year's Day. The popular bar turned into a death trap when sparklers placed inside champagne bottles ignited the basement ceiling, triggering the devastating blaze, leaving no space for revelers to escape.
Drenched in Crime
"According to our information, Jacques Moretti is no stranger to the French justice system. He is known for pimping cases dating back some twenty years, as well as for a kidnapping and confinement case. He was imprisoned in Savoie," Le Parisien reported.
Quoting its own legal source, RTL, the radio network, reported: "The Corsican–born man in his sixties was imprisoned in Savoie in 2005, for involvement in cases of pimping, fraud, kidnapping, and false imprisonment."
Lawyers for Moretti have not yet responded to the revelations about his past. He and his wife, Jessica Moretti, who is in her 40s, were questioned by Swiss prosecutors on Friday. Both remain free while cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
Authorities have said they will continue the investigation into "arson by negligence" and "manslaughter by negligence" if criminal responsibility is established. For now, the French couple has not been formally charged and is allowed to travel.
"Everything suggests that the fire started with incandescent candles placed in champagne bottles, which were brought too close to the ceiling, causing a rapid and widespread conflagration," Swiss attorney general Beatrice Pilloud said.
Moretti has insisted that his bar "followed all safety regulations," even though it had reportedly been inspected just "three times in the past ten years." Under Article 8 of the local fire prevention code, however, buildings open to the public—or those posing special risks—are supposed to undergo inspections every year.
Reckless Attitude
Moretti, who owns three businesses in the Crans–Montana area, was not at Le Constellation on the night of the fire. His wife, however, was present and sustained burns to her arm. The couple took over Le Constellation in 2015 and own homes nearby, as well as one on the French Riviera.
Sparklers have sparked deadly fires before. In August 2016, a blaze at the Cuba Libre in Rouen, France, killed 14 people when young patrons became trapped in the basement after sparklers ignited the ceiling. The fire spread within seconds, just as it did at Le Constellation.
In October 2019, the bar's managers were sentenced to five years in prison, with two of the sentences suspended. Johnny Autin, whose 20-year-old daughter Megane died in that fire, called for "more inspections and harsher penalties" to prevent similar tragedies.
