Mid-February is currently the only confirmed milestone in the investigation into the deadly Crans-Montana nightclub fire, when prosecutors from Rome are due to meet their counterparts from the Swiss canton of Valais. The meeting will focus on the documentation to be shared under a formal request for judicial cooperation submitted by Italian authorities.
While Switzerland has already expressed its willingness to collaborate, the practical terms of the partnership have yet to be finalised. In the meantime, Italian prosecutors are preparing to move forward. A team of around ten investigators is reportedly ready to travel to Switzerland shortly after the initial meeting between the two prosecutorial offices.
The goal is to establish joint investigative teams with all countries that lost citizens in the New Year’s Eve blaze, which killed 40 people, including six Italians. The deployment of Italian investigators - as well as the return of Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland - remains on hold pending final approval from Bern.
If authorised, Italian experts could be allowed to conduct on-site inspections inside the Le Constellation nightclub, obtain copies of the Swiss case files and carry out additional witness interviews. These could include individuals not previously questioned by Swiss authorities, such as the club’s former head of security, who is under investigation and scheduled to be questioned on 9 February over alleged failures in safety inspections.
Italian prosecutors are also considering placing nightclub owner Jacques Moretti and his wife Jessica Maric under investigation on charges of negligent disaster and multiple counts of manslaughter.