The direct summons was served on the leading Italian social media influencer's lawyers who maintain their client has 'committed no crime'.
One of Italy's biggest social media influencers, Chiara Ferragni, has been indicted for aggravated fraud in the Balocco 'Pink Christmas' Pandoro and Easter Eggs affair.
Ferragni and the confectionery company have been accused by Italy's Antitrust Authority of a misleading campaign for selling 'Pink Christmas' pandoro at more than double its origingal cost.
The direct summons for 23 September was issued on Wednesday morning by the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office to the influencer's lawyers, Giuseppe Iannaccone and Marcello Bana, who insist their client has "committed no crime".
Ferragni's former manager Fabio Damato along with Alessandra Balocco, the company's managing director and Francesco Cannillo, Dolci Preziosi's representative, have also been summoned on charges of aggravated fraud.
The defence claims: 'Absence of conduct constituting a crime'.
According to a report in the Corriere della Sera, Chiara Ferragni's lawyers said: 'We remain firmly convinced that this matter has no criminal relevance and that every controversial profile has already been addressed and resolved before the Competition and Market Authority.
"The discussion with the prosecutors did not have the desired outcome and the Public Prosecutor's Office preferred to defer any decision to the trial judge despite the evident absence of conduct constituting a criminal offence and the lack of the conditions for proceeding. Our defendant's innocence will certainly be ascertained in court, which we will face calmly,' they concluded.
Ferragni: 'I thought it was not necessary'
Meanwhile, Ferragni has also issued a statement saying: "I sincerely believed that it was not necessary to hold a trial to prove that I never cheated anyone."
"I will unfortunately have to live with this accusation, which I consider deeply unfair, for some time yet, but I am ready to fight with even greater determination to prove my absolute innocence."
After being found responsible by Italy's Antitrust Authority for misleading consumers over 'Pink Christmas' pandoro, Ferragni and the confectionery firm were fined more than 1-million euro.
According to the authority, the campaign had fooled consumers into thinking that, by buying a pandoro, they would help donate funds to the Regina Margherita children's hospital in Turin.
In reality, Balocco had previously paid EUR 50,000 to the hospital, six months before it went on sale.