Crans-Montana Fire: Investigators Accuse Bar Co-Owner of Forgery
After the deadly Crans-Montana fire, prosecutors now also accuse co-owner Jessica Moretti of forging a 2015 foam purchase invoice.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
Swiss prosecutors have added a forgery allegation against Jessica Moretti, co-owner of the bar linked to the fatal Crans-Montana fire. Her lawyer rejects the claim and says the invoice has nothing to do with the tragedy.
A big fire hurt many people, and now police think one of the bar owners may have also changed a paper about buying foam. It is like checking not only how a house burned, but also whether important safety papers were honest.
Analysis
New allegation
After the fire disaster in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, prosecutors have brought a new charge against Jessica Moretti, a co-owner of the affected bar. Her lawyer said on Friday evening, after hours of questioning of Moretti and her husband, that she is now also accused of forgery.
What investigators say
According to the report, investigators suspect Moretti forged a 2015 invoice for foam bought for the bar. The material that apparently covered the ceiling of the bar caught fire in the underground floor on New Year’s night. The blaze killed 41 people, most of them young, and injured 115 others.
The investigators believe the catastrophe may have been triggered by fireworks fountains attached to bottles that came too close to the ceiling.
Defense response and broader probe
Moretti’s lawyer rejected the new allegation. He said the disputed foam invoice had “strictly no connection” to the Crans-Montana tragedy.
The forgery accusation comes on top of existing investigations against Jacques and Jessica Moretti for negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm, and negligent arson. The article also says several other potentially responsible parties are under investigation. The municipality has already admitted that no fire safety inspections were carried out at the bar since 2019, even though they were required every year.
Taken together, the article shows an investigation that is expanding from the immediate cause of the fire to possible documentation issues and long-running regulatory failures.
Key points
- Prosecutors now suspect co-owner Jessica Moretti of forging a 2015 invoice for foam bought for the bar.
- The bar was linked to a deadly fire in Crans-Montana that killed 41 people and injured 115.
- Investigators think fireworks fountains attached to bottles may have started the blaze by coming too close to the ceiling.
- Moretti's lawyer denies the new forgery allegation and says the invoice had no connection to the tragedy.
- The municipality has admitted that no fire safety inspections were carried out at the bar from 2019 onward, despite yearly requirements.
If the additional evidence is weak, the forgery allegation could be dismissed, narrowing the case to the core fire-safety questions. A clearer investigation may also help establish responsibility for the tragedy and why inspections had not taken place.
If the forgery claim is substantiated, the case could become more serious and further damage trust in the bar owners’ account. The broader investigation may also reveal deeper safety failures, especially given the lack of annual inspections since 2019.
