Latest news with #FashionforRelief
The Independent
07-02-2025
- The Independent
Naomi Campbell's fellow charity trustee ‘carried out deception against her'
British supermodel Naomi Campbell has alleged in an appeal against a Charity Commission ban that her fellow trustee carried out a 'concerted deception' against her. It was revealed last year that the 54-year-old had been disqualified from being a charity trustee for five years after the watchdog – which regulates charities in England and Wales – found serious mismanagement of funds at Fashion for Relief, which she founded. This included using charity funds to pay for her stay at a five-star hotel in Cannes, France, as well as spa treatments, room service and cigarettes. From the further documents that have now been provided by the commission there is significant further evidence of motive on the part of (at least) Ms Hellmich for the concerted deception of Ms Campbell Andrew Westwood KC Campbell was one of three of the charity's trustees to be disqualified as a result of the probe, with Bianka Hellmich disqualified for nine years, and Veronica Chou for four years. The model has launched an appeal against her ban, claiming she was a 'victim of fraud and forgery' – including a fake email account said to have been used to impersonate her in communications with lawyers. Her case came before a tribunal on Friday in which lawyers for her and for the Commission variously applied for disclosure of documents. In written arguments for Campbell, barrister Andrew Westwood KC said: 'Ms Campbell says that the (disqualification) order was wrongly made because she was not able adequately, or at all, to deal with issues that arose with the running of Fashion For Relief and/or present her proper and accurate position during the process which led to the making of the order. 'That was so as a result of deception on the part of, at least, her co-trustee Ms Bianka Hellmich.' Mr Westwood added: 'From the further documents that have now been provided by the commission there is significant further evidence of motive on the part of, at least, Ms Hellmich for the concerted deception of Ms Campbell, both in relation to the commission's inquiry that led to the making of the order and in the running of the charity more broadly. 'In particular, the documents appear to show that during the period that the charity was operational (2016-2021), Ms Hellmich was paid in excess of £500,000 out of charity funds.' An important feature of the appellant's grounds of appeal is that broadly she does not dispute that there was misconduct/mismanagement in the administration of the Charity but instead she contends that she was unaware of the misconduct/mismanagement due to wholesale deceit being perpetrated against her by a fellow trustee, Ms Bianka Hellmich Faisel Sadiq He told the court on Friday: 'It is Ms Campbell's case that because of the deception that was practised on her… she has been disqualified without having the opportunity to respond to the reasons for disqualification and without having had sight of the documents relied on by the commission in taking that action.' He argued that was 'fundamentally unfair', and applied for disclosure of the entirety of the commission's investigation file, but this was rejected – with the judge ordering the commission to disclose a smaller amount of only relevant documents. Faisel Sadiq, for the Charity Commission, said in written argument that Campbell is 'positively asserting that she was the victim of fraud and forgery'. 'An important feature of the appellant's grounds of appeal is that broadly she does not dispute that there was misconduct/mismanagement in the administration of the charity, but instead she contends that she was unaware of the misconduct/mismanagement due to wholesale deceit being perpetrated against her by a fellow trustee, Ms Bianka Hellmich,' he said. 'Indeed, the appellant goes so far as alleging that her signature on a document had been forged.' Mr Sadiq told the tribunal on Friday that Campbell's position 'is not to criticise the commission', but to say that it was a fraud and that her case in a nutshell is: 'I knew nothing about it, I was a figurehead.' He successfully applied for Campbell to disclose communications between herself and her fellow trustees. The court heard neither Ms Hellmich nor Ms Chou have launched appeals against their disqualifications. In a statement on Wednesday, Campbell said: 'I am grateful to the tribunal for allowing me to appeal the Charity Commission's findings after considering the evidence I have submitted. Ever since the commission's report, I have fought to uncover the facts. What has been unearthed so far is shocking. 'I want to shine a light on how easy it is to fake identities online and prevent anybody else going through what I have been through. 'I want to ensure that those responsible are held accountable and justice is done.' She said this was 'just the beginning' and reiterated that she has 'never undertaken philanthropic work for personal gain, nor will I ever do so'. A Charity Commission spokesperson said: 'The commission notes the tribunal's initial ruling and the judge's comment that the case will require Ms Campbell to prove very serious allegations of wrongdoing against a fellow trustee. 'These are significant allegations for the courts to consider, and we will continue to co-operate fully with the tribunal as it does so.'
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Yahoo
Naomi Campbell's fellow charity trustee ‘carried out deception against her'
British supermodel Naomi Campbell has alleged in an appeal against a Charity Commission ban that her fellow trustee carried out a 'concerted deception' against her. It was revealed last year that the 54-year-old had been disqualified from being a charity trustee for five years after the watchdog – which regulates charities in England and Wales – found serious mismanagement of funds at Fashion for Relief, which she founded. This included using charity funds to pay for her stay at a five-star hotel in Cannes, France, as well as spa treatments, room service and cigarettes. Campbell was one of three of the charity's trustees to be disqualified as a result of the probe, with Bianka Hellmich disqualified for nine years, and Veronica Chou for four years. The model has launched an appeal against her ban, claiming she was a 'victim of fraud and forgery' – including a fake email account said to have been used to impersonate her in communications with lawyers. Her case came before a tribunal on Friday in which lawyers for her and for the Commission variously applied for disclosure of documents. In written arguments for Campbell, barrister Andrew Westwood KC said: 'Ms Campbell says that the (disqualification) order was wrongly made because she was not able adequately, or at all, to deal with issues that arose with the running of Fashion For Relief and/or present her proper and accurate position during the process which led to the making of the order. 'That was so as a result of deception on the part of, at least, her co-trustee Ms Bianka Hellmich.' Mr Westwood added: 'From the further documents that have now been provided by the commission there is significant further evidence of motive on the part of, at least, Ms Hellmich for the concerted deception of Ms Campbell, both in relation to the commission's inquiry that led to the making of the order and in the running of the charity more broadly. 'In particular, the documents appear to show that during the period that the charity was operational (2016-2021), Ms Hellmich was paid in excess of £500,000 out of charity funds.' He told the court on Friday: 'It is Ms Campbell's case that because of the deception that was practised on her… she has been disqualified without having the opportunity to respond to the reasons for disqualification and without having had sight of the documents relied on by the commission in taking that action.' He argued that was 'fundamentally unfair', and applied for disclosure of the entirety of the commission's investigation file, but this was rejected – with the judge ordering the commission to disclose a smaller amount of only relevant documents. Faisel Sadiq, for the Charity Commission, said in written argument that Campbell is 'positively asserting that she was the victim of fraud and forgery'. 'An important feature of the appellant's grounds of appeal is that broadly she does not dispute that there was misconduct/mismanagement in the administration of the charity, but instead she contends that she was unaware of the misconduct/mismanagement due to wholesale deceit being perpetrated against her by a fellow trustee, Ms Bianka Hellmich,' he said. 'Indeed, the appellant goes so far as alleging that her signature on a document had been forged.' Mr Sadiq told the tribunal on Friday that Campbell's position 'is not to criticise the commission', but to say that it was a fraud and that her case in a nutshell is: 'I knew nothing about it, I was a figurehead.' He successfully applied for Campbell to disclose communications between herself and her fellow trustees. The court heard neither Ms Hellmich nor Ms Chou have launched appeals against their disqualifications. In a statement on Wednesday, Campbell said: 'I am grateful to the tribunal for allowing me to appeal the Charity Commission's findings after considering the evidence I have submitted. Ever since the commission's report, I have fought to uncover the facts. What has been unearthed so far is shocking. 'I want to shine a light on how easy it is to fake identities online and prevent anybody else going through what I have been through. 'I want to ensure that those responsible are held accountable and justice is done.' She said this was 'just the beginning' and reiterated that she has 'never undertaken philanthropic work for personal gain, nor will I ever do so'. A Charity Commission spokesperson said: 'The commission notes the tribunal's initial ruling and the judge's comment that the case will require Ms Campbell to prove very serious allegations of wrongdoing against a fellow trustee. 'These are significant allegations for the courts to consider, and we will continue to co-operate fully with the tribunal as it does so.'
Euronews
06-02-2025
- Euronews
Naomi Campbell claims she was impersonated in appeal against charity ban
British supermodel Naomi Campbell has claimed she was impersonated in an appeal against her ban from being a charity trustee. In September last year, Campbell was barred from her trustee status for the charity Fashion for Relief, after an England and Wales watchdog found a mismanagement of charity funds. Campbell founded the charity in 2005 to organise fund-raising fashion shows to benefit victims of humanitarian crises, starting with Hurricane Katrina. UK watchdog, the Charity Commission, accused the charity of 'multiple instances of misconduct and/or mismanagement,' following a three-year investigation that found only 8.5% of the charity's expenditure went on charitable grants from 2016 to 2022. As a result, the watchdog gave the 54-year-old model a five-year ban from being a charity trustee. Now, Campbell's representation claims that some of the documentation submitted to the watchdog's inquiry were misleading as to her involvement in the charity's running. They claim that a fake email was set up to impersonate Campbell when communicating with the Charity Commission lawyers. They say this means Campbell was unable to respond to the inquiry's allegations. The watchdog found that thousands of pounds worth of charity funds were used to pay for a luxury hotel stay in Cannes for Campbell as well as spa treatments, room service and even cigarettes. Campbell's response at the time was that she was 'extremely concerned' by the findings of the regulator and that an investigation on her part was underway. 'I was not in control of my charity, I put the control in the hands of a legal employer,' she said. 'We are investigating to find out what and how, and everything I do and every penny I ever raised goes to charity.' On Friday 7 February, Campbell's case will be heard in a tribunal. Yesterday, the model's representation says she wants to 'ensure that those responsible are held accountable and justice is done'. 'I want to shine a light on how easy it is to fake identities online and prevent anybody else going through what I have been through. I want to ensure that those responsible are held accountable and justice is done,' Campbell has said in a statement. She added that she has 'fought to uncover the facts' and that what she discovered has been 'shocking'. Fashion for Relief was dissolved and removed from the charity register after the watchdog probe. On its website, which is still active, the charity said that it presented fashion initiatives and projects in New York, London, Cannes, Moscow, Mumbai and Dar es Salaam, raising more than $15 million (approx. €13.4m) for good causes around the world. Campbell wasn't the only trustee of the charity to be disqualified due to the probe. It also found that fellow trustee Bianka Hellmich received around £290,000 (€347,600) of unauthorized funds for consultancy services, which was in breach of the charity's constitution. She has been disqualified as a trustee for nine years. Another trustee, Veronica Chou, was barred for four years. The commission said that around £344,000 (€412,300) has been recovered and that a further £98,000 (€117,000) of charitable funds have been protected. These funds were used to make donations to two other charities and settle outstanding liabilities.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Naomi Campbell claims she was impersonated at charity hit by ban
Naomi Campbell has claimed a fake email was used to impersonate her at her charity hit with a ban by the watchdog last year. The supermodel, 54, is appealing against her five-year ban as a trustee for Fashion for Relief, which she founded in 2005 to merge fashion and philanthropy, after the Charity Commission found a serious mismanagement of funds. It was claimed last year that the charity passed on only a small fraction of the millions it raised for good causes and that funds were used to pay for Campbell's spa treatments, personal security, room service, cigarettes and hotel stays in Cannes, in the south of France. At the time, the supermodel said she was 'extremely concerned' by the regulator's findings, adding that she was 'not in control of my charity' having 'put the control in the hands of a lawyer'. Now, she has won her attempt to appeal against the ban, arguing that evidence was found that a false email address was used to impersonate her in communications with lawyers. Her case is due to come before a tribunal on Friday, and Campbell said she wants to 'ensure that those responsible are held accountable and justice is done'. In a statement on Wednesday, she said: 'I am grateful to the tribunal for allowing me to appeal the Charity Commission's findings after considering the evidence I have submitted. 'Ever since the commission's report, I have fought to uncover the facts. What has been unearthed so far is shocking. 'I want to shine a light on how easy it is to fake identities online and prevent anybody else going through what I have been through.' She added: 'Having begun legal action, I will have more to say in due course. This is just the beginning. 'As I have said before, I have never undertaken philanthropic work for personal gain, nor will I ever do so.' Representatives for the model said that the fake email account meant that she was not made aware of the allegations being made in the charity watchdog's inquiry, so did not have the opportunity to answer them. Campbell was one of three of the charity's trustees to be disqualified as a result of the commission's probe last September. The watchdog uncovered that, over a six-year period from April 2016 to July 2022, 8.5 per cent of the charity's overall expenditure was on charitable grants. On its website, Fashion for Relief claims to have raised more than $15million (£11million) for causes around the world, helping those impacted by Ebola, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Hurricane Katrina and the conflict in Syria. Most of the charity's funds were raised by ticketed fashion shows and galas with auctions. Attendees over the years included household names such as Pierce Brosnan, Justin Bieber and Uma Thurman. The probe into Fashion for Relief was opened by the commission in 2021, with the charity dissolved and removed from the register of charities last year. Announcing the results of its investigation, the watchdog said it had recovered £344,000 and protected £98,000 of charitable funds. The commission said it found no evidence that Fashion for Relief's trustees took action to ensure that the money the charity spent was reasonable relative to its income. The expenditure discovered to be misconduct or mismanagement by the trustees included €9,400 (£7,800) for a three-night stay in a five-star hotel for Campbell, as well as a €14,800 (£12,300) flight from London to Nice for transferring art and jewellery to a fundraising event in Cannes in 2018. In these cases, the trustees 'failed to show how these were cost-effective and an appropriate use of the charity's resources', the commission said. Bianka Hellmich was disqualified as a trustee for the charity for nine years and Veronica Chou for four years, alongside Campbell's five-year ban. The disqualifications mean the three women are prevented from being a trustee or holding a senior role in any charity in England and Wales for five years. A Charity Commission spokesman said: 'These are significant allegations for the courts to consider, and we will continue to co-operate fully with the tribunal as it does so.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Yahoo
Supermodel Naomi Campbell challenges charity trustee ban
British supermodel Naomi Campbell is to appeal against her ban on being a charity trustee, claiming a fake email was used to impersonate her. It was revealed last year that the 54-year-old had been disqualified from being a charity trustee for five years after a watchdog found serious mismanagement of funds at Fashion for Relief, which she founded. This included using charity funds to pay for her stay at a five-star hotel in Cannes, France, as well as spa treatments, room service and cigarettes. Campbell was one of three of the charity's trustees to be disqualified as a result of the probe by the Charity Commission, which regulates charities in England and Wales. At the time, she said she was 'extremely concerned' by the regulator's findings, adding that she was 'not in control of my charity' having 'put the control in the hands of a lawyer'. Her case is now due to come before a tribunal on Friday, and Campbell said she wants to 'ensure that those responsible are held accountable and justice is done'. Representatives for the model claim that documents submitted to the commission gave a false impression of her involvement in running the UK charity, with evidence of a fake email account which they said was used to impersonate Campbell in communications with lawyers. They said she was therefore not made aware of the allegations being made in the watchdog's inquiry and did not have the opportunity to answer them. In a statement on Wednesday, Campbell said: 'I am grateful to the tribunal for allowing me to appeal the Charity Commission's findings after considering the evidence I have submitted. Ever since the commission's report, I have fought to uncover the facts. What has been unearthed so far is shocking. 'I want to shine a light on how easy it is to fake identities online and prevent anybody else going through what I have been through. 'I want to ensure that those responsible are held accountable and justice is done. 'Having begun legal action, I will have more to say in due course. This is just the beginning. 'As I have said before, I have never undertaken philanthropic work for personal gain, nor will I ever do so.' A probe into Fashion for Relief was opened by the commission in 2021, with the charity dissolved and removed from the register of charities last year. It had been set up with the aim of uniting the fashion industry to relieve poverty and advance health and education, by making grants to other organisations and giving resources towards global disasters. It hosted fundraising events to generate income, including in Cannes and London. Some £344,000 has been recovered and a further £98,000 of charitable funds protected, the Charity Commission said in September. The regulator's inquiry found that, between April 2016 and July 2022, 8.5% of the charity's overall expenditure was on charitable grants. The probe saw no evidence that trustees took action to ensure fundraising methods were in the charity's best interests, or that the money it spent was reasonable relative to the income it generated. It also said it found some fundraising expenditure to be misconduct or mismanagement by the charity's trustees. This included a 14,800 euro (£12,300) flight from London to Nice for transferring art and jewellery to a fundraising event in Cannes in 2018. It also looked into the decision to spend 9,400 euros (£7,800) of charity funds on a three-night stay at a five-star hotel for Campbell. In these cases, the trustees 'failed to show how these were cost-effective and an appropriate use of the charity's resources', the commission said. Furthermore, it examined expenses incurred by Campbell totalling nearly 7,940 euros (£6,600), alongside the hotel stay, paid for by the charity. These costs included spa treatments, room service, and the purchase of cigarettes and hotel products. The regulator said trustees explained that hotel costs were typically covered by a donor to the charity, therefore not costing the charity, but failed to provide any evidence to support this. Bianka Hellmich was disqualified as a trustee for nine years, and Veronica Chou for four years, alongside Campbell's five-year ban. A Charity Commission spokesman said: 'These are significant allegations for the courts to consider, and we will continue to co-operate fully with the tribunal as it does so.'
