The Milan Public Prosecutor's Office has closed its investigations, in view of the request for trial, against Chiara Ferragni and other people on charges of aggravated fraud. At the center of the investigation, coordinated by prosecutor Cristian Barilli and deputy prosecutor Eugenio Fusco and conducted by the Financial and Economic Police Unit of the Guardia di Finanza, are the cases of alleged misleading advertising linked to the sales, at inflated prices and disguised as charitable initiatives , which took place between 2021 and 2022, of the Balocco "Pink Christmas" pandoro and the Dolci Preziosi Easter eggs.
In addition to Ferragni, the act closing the investigation, notified this morning, concerns her former close collaborator Fabio Damato, Alessandra Balocco, owner of the Piedmontese company that produces Pandoro, Franco Cannillo of Dolci Preziosi. As can be read in a note from the Prosecutor's Office, the crimes of continued and aggravated fraud have been hypothesized in relation to the commercial operations "Pandoro Balocco Pink Christmas, Limited Edition Chiara Ferragni" (Christmas 2022) and "Chiara Ferragni Easter Eggs - we support the Children of the Fairies" (Easter 2021 and 2022).
"The investigations - it is written in the press release signed by the prosecutor Marcello Viola - have allowed us to reconstruct the planning and dissemination of communications of a deceptive nature, aimed at misleading consumers regarding the connection between the purchase of the advertised products and charitable initiatives". According to the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office, the unjust profit contested to Chiara Ferragni would be just over 2 million and 200 thousand euros.
"We believe that this case has no criminal relevance and that the controversial aspects have already been addressed and resolved at Agcom - commented Ferragni's lawyers -. We will start a discussion with the Public Prosecutors as soon as possible and we trust in a positive conclusion to the case. Chiara Ferragni has faith in the work of the judiciary and that her innocence will be established as soon as possible". According to lawyers Giuseppe Iannaccone and Marcello Bana, the case has already been resolved before the Competition and Market Authority. The influencer's two companies have in fact paid a large sum. The two lawyers, now, after reading the documents that will be filed, will study the defensive countermoves.
(Online Union)
