Italian businessman and fashion blogger Chiara Ferragni will be brought to justice in Milan. Prosecutors accused her of fraud in the case of charity initiatives it supported. This was announced on Wednesday by its lawyers and TASR reports according to Ansa and Reuters.
These are cases of alleged false advertising when selling a Christmas cake Balocco “Pink Christmas” Pandoro and Easter eggs Dolci Preziosi. Sales from 2021 to 2022 were to have a charity goal.
The influencer (37) has almost 29 million followers on Instagram. In 2023, it received a fine of almost 1.1 million euros from the Italian Competition Office for the sale of Christmas cakes Ferragni called Pandoro, on the packaging of which the children’s hospital was listed. Pandoro is an alternative to the more famous Christmas Italian Pnettone cake.
“I sincerely believed that there was no need to conduct a trial to prove that I never cheated on anyone,” Ferragni criticized the prosecutors’ decision. He considers the indictment very unfair and wants to prove innocence in court. Last year, she agreed to pay at least EUR 1.2 million for a child charity to settle a dispute concerning the sale of Easter eggs, as well as Ferragni.
According to Reuters, the trial should start on 23 September in Milan. In the case of crimes such as fraud, prosecutors may directly order court proceedings under Italian law without asking the judge for a preliminary hearing. Ferragni’s conviction is punishable by one to five years.
In the case of a pandoro blogger, according to the indictment, it deceived consumers that by buying these cakes they contribute to charity for the children’s hospital Regina Margherita in Turin. In the case of Easter eggs, she is accused of misleading buyers to think that they support the children’s charity and Bambini delle Fate.
