Agnelli Inheritance: Prosecutor's Office accepts request for probation for John Elkann

The legal case surrounding the inheritance of Marella Agnelli, widow of Gianni Agnelli , chairman of Fiat from 1966 to 1996 and senator for life from 1991 to 2003, may be nearing its conclusion. Following preliminary investigations, the Turin Public Prosecutor's Office has filed a request to dismiss the case against John Elkann (current chairman of Stellantis , Ferrari , and Exor) and the brothers Lapo and Ginevra for the crimes of false declaration and fraud against the State. A partial dismissal request has been filed only for the crime of false declaration, limited to two years, against John Elkann. The Public Prosecutor's Office has therefore expressed a favorable opinion on the request by the Stellantis chairman's lawyers for a suspension of the proceedings with a probationary period . The defendants have made payments to the Treasury amounting to approximately 183 million euros , "a sum that fully extinguishes the tax debt, including penalties and interest," stated Prosecutor Giovanni Bombardieri.

The "probation" system is a relatively recent addition to the Italian legal system. It dates back to Law 67/2014, which amended the Criminal Code. For certain minor offenses, it provides the possibility for the suspect (or the defendant, if the case is already in the trial phase), even upon the proposal of the public prosecutor, to request a suspension of the proceedings. In exchange, the suspect or defendant must perform community service for a period to be determined later. If the investigating judge were to grant the prosecutor's request, the proceedings would conclude with a dismissal of all alleged crimes against John Elkann.