Agnelli inheritance, 74.8 million seizure for tax fraud from the Elkann brothers. The defence: 'Reconstructions not acceptable'.
The Turin Public Prosecutor's Office issues the order against John, Lapo and Ginevra. Memorandum found to evade tax: Irpef evaded for 42.8 mln
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The investigation into the Agnelli family inheritance takes a step forward. The prosecutors of Turin have ordered the seizure of EUR 74.8 million (including movable and immovable property) from the Elkan brothers John, Lapo and Ginevra, the accountant Gianluca Ferrero and the Swiss notary Urs Robert Von Grunigen.
The Turin prosecutors are accusing the suspects of fraudulent declaration and aggravated fraud to the detriment of the State.
Inheritance
The operation was concluded by the Nucleo di polizia economico finanziario of the Guardia di finanza of Turin, which reconstructed the Elkanns' financial flows linked to the events of the inheritance of Marella Caracciolo and the related family disputes between Margherita Agnelli and her children John, Lapo and Ginevra (respectively daughter and grandchildren of de cuius).
According to the Guardia di Finanza, a considerable amount of accounting and non-accounting documentation - including computer records - has been identified, which, at this stage, has confirmed the accusatory hypothesis, already the subject of the original complaint from which the investigation arose, regarding Marella Caracciolo's fictitious foreign residence and the existence of a criminal plan aimed at evading her considerable assets and related income from Italian inheritance and tax laws.
The Memorandum
.In a memorandum found during the search, the steps to be taken to support Caracciolo's fictitious Swiss residence were spelled out in detail. Evidence also came from the statements made by the woman's collaborators. On the basis of the investigation, the Guardia di Finanza quantified the income earned by Caracciolo and not declared to the Italian tax authorities, as well as the assets to be subjected to inheritance and gift tax.
Irpef and inheritance and gift taxes
In terms of income tax, evaded IRPEF (proceeds of the crime of tax fraud) totalling approximately EUR 42.8 million was quantified, resulting from the tax evasion of a life annuity received by Caracciolo (amounting - in the years from 2015 to 2019 - to over EUR 29 million) and capital income (amounting to approximately EUR 116.7 million) from financial assets held by trusts based in the Bahamas.
