Lawyer urges probe into Crans-Montana finances

A total of 41 people – mostly young people – died and 115 were injured in a fire in the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana on New Year’s Eve last year. Keystone-SDA

Amid uncertainty over the potential civil liability linked to the Constellation fire, a lawyer representing several victims has called for the Crans-Montana government to be placed under partial administration and for its finances to be investigated.

“We based our analysis on the public accounts, and the conclusion is clear: the municipality does not have the means to meet any liability it may incur,” Sébastien Fanti told the Keystone-ATS news agency. The lawyer was confirming a report in Le Matin Dimanche and the SonntagsZeitung.

According to the complaint lodged with the Valais cantonal government, the total cost to the municipality could run into several hundred million francs. The annual allocation of CHF5 million, as set out in the municipal budget, is therefore insufficient. The lawyer is therefore calling for an official investigation into Crans-Montana’s finances, accompanied by recommendations.

The complaint also includes a request for the executive to be placed under partial administration, limited to the financial and legal consequences of the fire. According to the lawyer, swift action is needed, as the municipality’s 2027 budget is due to be adopted on December 20.

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Translated from French, reviewed by an English Department journalist. 

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