Overview
- Valais prosecutors placed five additional current and former municipal officials under criminal investigation, bringing the case to nine defendants.
- Mayor Nicolas Feraud was named a defendant in documents seen by Reuters and has been summoned for questioning on April 13.
- Suspected offenses include negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm and negligent arson, while bar owners Jacques and Jessica Moretti remain under investigation.
- Investigators' working theory is that sparklers on champagne bottles ignited ceiling sound‑insulation foam in the Le Constellation bar, which had not received an annual safety inspection since 2019.
- Media reports say Switzerland’s anti‑money‑laundering office flagged the bar owners’ business dealings to prosecutors, as officials also note 41 dead, about 115 injured and dozens still hospitalized.