Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has expressed outrage after Swiss authorities released Jacques Moretti, the French owner of a bar in Crans-Montana where a New Year’s Eve fire killed 40 people.
Meloni, along with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, instructed Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland to contact the prosecutor general of the Valais region, Béatrice Pilloud, to convey the Italian government’s strong indignation over Moretti’s release. According to a statement from Meloni’s office, Moretti was freed on Friday after posting bail of 200,000 Swiss francs (around €215,000).
Italy has also recalled its ambassador to Switzerland for consultations on further action, the statement added. The fire claimed the lives of six Italian youths and left more than ten others severely injured.
Meloni and Tajani criticised the Swiss judicial decision, citing “the extreme gravity of the crime” Moretti is accused of, his “significant responsibilities,” the “persistent risk of flight,” and the “evident danger of further tampering with evidence.” The statement described the decision as “a serious offence and a fresh wound inflicted on the families of the victims of the Crans-Montana tragedy and those still hospitalised.”
