Italian ambassador says Crans Montana club owners would have been arrested in Italy

Speaking at the cemetery in Sion as the coffins of five Italian victims were being returned home, Ambassador Gian Lorenzo Cornado said that, under Italian law, the seriousness of the alleged offences would have triggered immediate custodial measures.

 

 “In Italy they would certainly have been arrested,” Cornado said, referring to the bar’s managers, Jacques and Jessica Moretti. “The crime is too serious.”

 

 The public prosecutor of the Swiss canton of Valais, however, has ruled that no precautionary measures are necessary, citing the absence of legal grounds, particularly the risk of flight. Cornado stressed that his remarks were not intended as criticism of the Swiss judiciary, noting that “procedures are different”, but added that Italy expects “truth and justice” from the investigation.

 

 The ambassador also confirmed serious safety shortcomings at the venue. He said local authorities had acknowledged that the ceiling material was not fire-resistant. “They admitted that the material was flammable,” he said. “The fact that it caught fire is proof of that.”

 He added that, although an emergency exit reportedly existed, it was poorly signposted and was not seen by those trying to escape amid the chaos.

 

 The fire, which broke out shortly after 1.30am during New Year celebrations, left 40 people dead and 116 injured, with 83 still hospitalised, according to the latest official figures. All victims have now been formally identified.

 

 On Monday, a military aircraft landed at Milan Linate airport carrying the bodies of several young Italian victims, including Achille Barosi, Giovanni Tamburi, Emanuele Galeppini, Chiara Costanzo and Riccardo Minghetti. Funerals for four of the victims will be held in Rome, Bologna and Milan, while a sixth victim has been buried in Switzerland’s Canton Ticino. The funeral of Emanuele Galeppini, a 17-year-old Italian golfer, is scheduled for Tuesday.

 

Italy’s Civil Protection chief, Fabio Ciciliano, confirmed that one Italian national remains in hospital in Switzerland. A minute’s silence will be observed in Italian schools on 7 January in memory of the victims.

 

 Investigators have also confirmed that a request to expand the bar had been submitted at the end of 2025, just weeks before the fire. Families of the victims have described the disaster as “avoidable” and are calling for accountability as the Swiss inquiry continues.

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