According to the prosecutor’s office, the fraud happened through a complex network of foreign companies that worked with false invoices. They would have evaded more than 260 million euros in VAT.
No company names are mentioned in the communication from the prosecutor’s office, but Ansa cites a source close to the investigation who confirms that Carrefour is one of the suspects, alongside Margherita Distribuzione (Auchan). According to Italian media, the judicial investigation focuses on the period 2015-2019, so for Auchan sold its Italian branch to Conad.
Carrefour Italia said in a statement that an internal investigation has been launched and that it is fully cooperating with the Italian authorities. Auchan has not yet responded, Bloomberg said.