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Swiss inferno bar owner 'answered all the questions': lawyer
Swiss inferno bar owner 'answered all the questions': lawyer
Jacques Moretti, co-owner of the Swiss bar which caught fire during New Year celebrations, was not evasive during 10 hours of questioning by prosecutors on Tuesday, a lawyer who was present said afterwards.
"I found him to be someone who did not shy away and who answered all the questions," Jose Coret, who represents six victims and their families, told reporters.
"I don't know if what he said is true, if it's accurate, but he answered all the questions."
Moretti, 49, and his 39-year-old wife Jessica, who are both French, co-own Le Constellation, a bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana in Switzerland's southern Wallis canton.
The establishment caught fire early on January 1 as partygoers celebrated the New Year. Forty people, mostly teenagers, were killed in the blaze and 116 others were injured.
The Morettis are under criminal investigation, facing charges of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence.
Jacques Moretti is being held in custody, while Jessica is at liberty, under certain restrictions.
They arrived separately at 8:30 am for interviews at the Wallis public prosecutors' office in the canton's capital Sion he in a prison van and she accompanied by her lawyers.
Jacques Moretti faced a barrage of questions from the magistrates and 27 lawyers representing the civil parties, while his wife is due to be interviewed on Wednesday.
It is the second time they have been formally interviewed since being charged. The first hearing on January 9 focused on their personal circumstances.
"He answered. Was he convincing? We will compare all these answers with other elements of the case file," said Coret.
"We don't have to believe him; we don't have to automatically assume he's lying to us.
"We must take these statements for what they are and corroborate them with other elements of the case file to form a final opinion."
Romain Jordan, a lawyer representing several victims' families, said before the hearing that for them, "we can't waste any more time; we have to move forward".
The defence lawyers and Jessica Moretti herself declined to comment on Tuesday, both before and after the hearing.
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