Moretti, the owner of the bar that burned down over New Year’s Eve and killed 40, injured over 100 has been arrested as a security measure.
Moretti is a criminal already, spent time in prison, a pimp, fraudster heavy criminal, he was close to criminal networks.
His wife, co-owner and as well manager was allowed to stay free.
The question: why only now Moretti was arrested and why his wife not?
Suspects are to be kept in preventive custody when there is a serious crime, if they are foreigners with escape risks, and if there is a risk of collusion and witness/proof tampering/destruction. The Swiss press and legal commentators have said from the first day that the conditions for preventive custody are fulfilled. So why gave the Morettis bee free for 9 days, why is Ms Moretti still free?
The Canton of Valais which now took over the judiciary investigation into the mass killing, is a special Canton of Switzerland. Historically a valley between the mountains where everybody knows everybody, which successfully opened to tourism, ski and summer sports. The Valais resorts are much of the most expensive in the World, where wealthy families and individuals from the rest of Switzerland or from abroad spend their holidays or own multi-million chalets. Such accumulation of wealth attracts also criminals such as Moretti.
The Canton of Valais is run by a few families who own and control large parts of the local economy and have good relationships with the federal government in Berne and with all the cantonal authorities. The Valais system looks like an oligarchy, the system repeats itself on communal level. There have been important corruption scandals, in particular in the real estate sector where a lot of money is made – also with Italian mafia structures involved.
Moretti is a small potatoe compared to the main actors in the Canton. Moretti, after his prison term, settled near Crans and became the manager of a bar. Within 10 years, Moretti made so much money that he was able to buy the bar and two more restaurants, as well a number of private residences in Crans and a substantial residence in Cannes, France. He drives luxury cars and shows his new wealth. The Swiss media is asking how he was able to make so much money for such big business and private investments, noting that his companies have only minimal capitalisation.
With the wealthy, also drug dealers came to the Canton. Drug networks were dismantled in the past, many French citizens caught by policd. But seemingly, where there is money the hard guys still take the risk. Drugs are still most probably distributed through places like bars, restaurants and clubs in Valais as it does not seem that drug trafficking is exercised in the small streets of the well off resorts.
Everybody wants to make money from the scores of tourists, wealthy or not, and some of those are going the wrong way, just money in their eyes and not the law, not good behavior or morals. Networks, friend, relations count in Valais, but money first.
As such, it may be understood why Moretti allowed cheap inflammable building material in his bar. As well, we understand why his wife, instead of saving the life of guests in the burning bar, saved the till with money earned from the mass killing evening.
Switzerland is in the news. Not good news. But the Canton of Valais comes much more under accusation and scrutiny. It will take time and a lot of efforts to clean up the consequences of Crans’ desaster and to forget and change the real face of Valais – the Canton, the Village but also the federal government must act, must punish and must show their generosity, not only with words lost at TV ceremonies, but also towards all the victimes, their families, the public. Legal dirty trick must be avoided in what is the due legal process to come. In this respect, it is totally not understandable why the Valais prosecution did not arrested the Morettis earlier.
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