The Milan Public Prosecutor's Office has concluded the preliminary investigations in view of the request for trial for Chiara Ferragni and other people, accused of aggravated fraud. This investigation, led by prosecutor Cristian Barilli and deputy prosecutor Eugenio Fusco, was conducted by the Economic and Financial Police Unit of the Guardia di Finanza. At the center of the case are alleged episodes of misleading advertising regarding sales at inflated prices, disguised as charity initiatives, relating to Balocco's Pink Christmas pandoro and Dolci Preziosi Easter eggs, which occurred between 2021 and 2022. The four suspects include Chiara Ferragni, Alessandra Balocco (legal representative of Balocco SpA), Francesco Cannillo (CEO of Dolci Preziosi) and Fabio Damato (general manager of Tbs Crew and Fenice Srl).
At the moment, Chiara Ferragni has not released any statements on the matter, but her lawyers have expressed their belief that her innocence will be recognized during the trial. They stated: “We are certain that this case has no criminal relevance and that the controversial issues have already been resolved by Agcom. We are planning a meeting with the prosecutors and we hope for a favorable outcome. Chiara Ferragni believes in justice and wants her innocence to be demonstrated quickly”.
For its part, the prosecutor's office stated that the investigations had highlighted a misleading communication strategy, aimed at confusing consumers regarding the link between the advertised purchases and charitable works.
Chiara Ferragni, what developments await us? As reported by RaiNews, "according to the code, once the investigation is closed with the provision known as 415 bis, the defense has 20 days to present documents and briefs, or to question its client. The goal is to prove the innocence of the person involved or contest the charges, thus requesting the archiving of the case. If this does not happen, the prosecutors will continue with the criminal action, requesting a committal for trial or a direct summons to the courtroom