Italy has recalled its ambassador to Switzerland for consultations after a Swiss court released the owner of a bar destroyed by a fatal fire in the resort of Crans-Montana.
Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister, said on Saturday that she was indignant at the decision to free Jacques Moretti, who is suspected of responsibility for the blaze that killed six young Italians and seriously injured more than a dozen others. Mr Moretti was released on Friday after posting bail of CHF 200,000.
In a statement, Ms Meloni and her foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, said they had instructed Italy’s ambassador in Bern to convey the government’s deep dismay to the Valais cantonal prosecutor. They criticised the decision because of the extreme seriousness of the alleged offence, the heavy responsibilities resting on the suspect, and what they see as continuing risks of flight and of interference with evidence.
The statement said the ruling amounted to a grave affront to the families of the victims and to those still being treated in hospital. Italy, it added, was demanding truth and justice and measures that take proper account of the suffering and expectations of the families affected. Rome subsequently ordered the ambassador to return in order to consider further steps.
Beatrice Pilloud, the cantonal prosecutor, confirmed that she had been contacted by the Italian ambassador on Saturday morning. She said she had explained that the decision had been taken not by her office but by the court and that she had advised him to address any concerns to the judiciary or to Switzerland’s federal authorities. She added that she would not yield to political pressure.
Switzerland’s foreign minister, Ignazio Cassis, sought to defuse tensions, telling Mr Tajani that Switzerland, like Italy, was mourning the victims and wanted clarity about the fire. He said the authorities were closely following the investigation and reaffirmed both countries’ intention to support one another in what he called a shared tragedy.
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