Dolce and Gabbana Found Guilty Of Tax Evasion

DOMENICO DOLCE and Stefano Gabbana have been found guilty of tax evasion.

The verdict was announced this afternoon after hours of deliberation by a three-judge panel who decided to uphold last June's guilty verdict that saw each designer sentenced to 20-months in prison for allegedly committing tax evasion.The alleged offence is said to have occured as a result of the sale of their Dolce & Gabbana and D&G brands to the Luxembourg-based holding company Gado Srl in 2004.

The duo have always strongly denied the charges and promptly appealed last year's decision with their legal representative,Massino Dinoia, saying:"Those issues that concern the image of the fashion house and the creation of products, while all that pertains to the commercial phase, such as the organisation and the administration of the company structures, concern other offices and individuals."

A twist in the appeal process came in March when the state general prosecutor, Gaetano Santamaria, requested that all defendants in the case be acquitted, saying at the time that "the case is groundless".

A spokesperson for the brand could not be reached this afternoon.