Chiara Ferragni is under investigation for aggravated fraud as part of the ongoing inquiry led by the Milan Prosecutor’s Office, focusing on the ‘Pink Christmas’ pandoro produced by the Piedmontese company Balocco.
Deputy prosecutor Eugenio Fusco has made the decision to proceed with the investigation. Alongside Ferragni, Alessandra Balocco is also being investigated for aggravated fraud.
The Milan Financial Police have obtained documents from the headquarters of the Milanese company, and the investigators from the Gdf of Milan have submitted an initial report, soon to be followed by a series of attachments, to Deputy Prosecutor Eugenio Fusco.
The report relates to the pandoro case, which has already resulted in the maximum fine for both the entrepreneur and the Cuneo-based company. The fine is due to misleading advertising related to charity donations for the ‘Pink Christmas’ pandoro.
Milanese investigators will assess the new perspective presented by the Financial Police’s report, which notably highlights certain emails exchanged in the planning of the pandoro promotion campaign. These emails had already been acquired by the Competition Authority.
Simultaneously, some prosecutor’s offices, prompted by recent Codacons reports, have initiated similar investigations. These offices have contacted Milanese prosecutors, indicating their intention to forward relevant documents.
The ongoing Milanese investigation will not only scrutinise the Balocco pandoro case. The investigatotion will also examine similar instances involving the sale of products under the Ferragni brand, where the influencer endorsed the items with purported charitable purposes. This includes the case of Easter eggs produced by Dolci Preziosi, and the Trudi doll, which has recently garnered attention.
Ferragni remains “calm”
Chiara Ferragni responded stating, “I am calm because I have always acted in good faith and I am certain that this will emerge from the ongoing investigation”.
“I have full confidence in the work of the judiciary and with my lawyers I immediately made myself available to cooperate and clarify every detail of what happened as soon as possible.
“On the other hand, I am deeply disturbed by the exploitation that part of the media is carrying out, even spreading news that is objectively untrue”.
She expressed full faith in the judiciary, offering her immediate cooperation with her lawyers to clarify every detail promptly.
Ferragni, however, expressed deep concern about the media’s exploitation of the situation, saying there was objectively untrue information distributed by the media.
Balocco, the confectionery company from Fossano, where the president Alessandra Balocco is implicated in the investigation, released a statement in the evening expressing deep disturbance over recent events.
The company highlighted its commitment to collaboration with the authorities and reiterated its absolute good faith. The statement concluded with a commitment to continuing the production of quality products for consumers in Italy and worldwide whilst highlighting the company’s dedication to maintaining its values and ethical standards.
The statement also addressed numerous cases of inaccurate information circulated over the past year, attributing it to poor knowledge, incorrect interpretation of facts, and, in some cases, exploitation.