I was conned by my lawyer, claims Naomi Campbell as she fights five year ban from sitting on board of charity

SUPERMODEL Naomi Campbell has claimed she was duped repeatedly by a pal earlier they were banned from acting arsenic her charity’s trustees.

The 54-year-old alleged ­lawyer Bianka Hellmich carried retired a “concerted deception” against her erstwhile they sat connected the Fashion for Relief board.

She is appealing a five-year ban imposed by the Charity Commission aft it recovered superior mismanagement of funds.

Money was utilized wage for a five-star edifice successful Cannes, spa treatments, country work and cigarettes.

In the 5 years Fashion for Relief ran, from 2016 to 2021, Hellmich, who was aboriginal handed a nine-year ban, was paid much than £500,000 from its funds, papers claim.

Andrew Westwood KC, for Campbell, said she was kept ignorant astir however the organisation was run.

Her signature was forged and a fake email acceptable up to impersonate her successful dealings with lawyers, helium added.

She could not “present her due and close position” arsenic she did not get to spot the documents the committee relied connected earlier barring her, it was said.

Campbell’s lawyers acceptable retired her presumption astatine a archetypal tier tribunal proceeding successful London yesterday arsenic she successfully applied for the disclosure of immoderate documents.

Faisel Sadiq, for the commission, said Campbell asserted she was the unfortunate of fraud and forgery.

She did not quality the misconduct/mismanagement successful the medication of the charity, helium said, lone that she knew thing of it “due to wholesale deceit being perpetrated against her by a chap trustee, Ms Bianka”.

Mr Sadiq added: “Her lawsuit successful a nutshell is, ‘I knew thing astir it. I was a figurehead’.”

He besides successfully applied for the exemplary to disclose her communications with chap trustees.

In a statement, Campbell said: “Ever since the commission’s report, I person fought to uncover the facts. What has been unearthed truthful acold is shocking.

“I privation to radiance a airy connected however casual it is to fake identities online. I privation to guarantee that those liable are held accountable and justness is done.”

She said she would ne'er bash foundation enactment for idiosyncratic gain.

The Charity Commission said: “These are important allegations for the courts to consider. We volition proceed to co-operate.”

Ms Hellmich has not appealed against her disqualification, nor has the 3rd trustee, US businesswoman Veronica Chou, who got a four-year ban.