GENEVA, Jan 23 (Reuters) – A Swiss court said on Friday that the owner of a bar that caught fire on New Year’s Day could go free after authorities received funds to bail him. Jacques Moretti and his wife Jessica are under investigation for suspected crimes including negligent homicide and the former was detained on […]
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Swiss court frees bar owner linked to fatal fire
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GENEVA, Jan 23 (Reuters) – A Swiss court said on Friday that the owner of a bar that caught fire on New Year’s Day could go free after authorities received funds to bail him.
Jacques Moretti and his wife Jessica are under investigation for suspected crimes including negligent homicide and the former was detained on Jan. 9 due to a perceived flight risk. Both of them have voiced grief over the tragedy which killed 40 people and injured over 100 and vowed to cooperate with prosecutors.
The court ordered measures to counter Jacques Moretti’s flight risk which included a 200,000 Swiss Franc ($253,485.42) bail payment and the obligation to report daily to a police station, it said in a statement.
Swiss prosecutors have so far conducted two sets of hearings with the bar owners, currently the only suspects in the case, they said earlier on Friday. The hearings lasted over 10 hours each and covered safety issues and renovations of ‘Le Constellation’ bar, they said.
They have ordered searches, secured evidence and seized assets, they said.
(Reporting by Emma Farge; editing by James Mackenzie)