The court said in a statement ‍that Jacques Moretti ​will be held for a provisional period of ‌three months, but this could ‍be reviewed if measures are taken to counter the risk of flight, such as ‍demanding a security deposit.

Moretti was taken into custody after he and his wife, Jessica, who co-owned Le Constellation bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana, were interviewed by prosecutors in Switzerland’s southwestern Wallis canton on Friday.

Read moreSwiss officials admit safety inspections lapse at bar where 40 died in NYE fire

The Morettis are under criminal investigation, facing charges of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence.

The fire broke out early on New Year’s Day when the bar was filled with partygoers, killing 40 people and injuring 116, most of them teenagers.

In Switzerland, the presumption of innocence applies until a final conviction is pronounced.

Initial findings suggest that the fire was caused by sparklers igniting soundproofing foam installed on the ceiling of the establishment’s basement.

Questions are also being raised regarding the presence and accessibility of fire extinguishers and whether the bar’s exits were in compliance with regulations.

Read moreCrans-Montana bar owner says service door was locked during deadly New Year blaze

Moretti told investigators a service door had been locked from the inside and that he had found out about the locked door just after the deadly fire.

When he arrived at the scene, he forced open the door, according to excerpts from police reports published by several French and Swiss media outlets.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)