According to investigations by The Sunday Telegraph, in the UK, Taiwan-based Acer has made fraud and embezzlement claims in France against Gianfranco Lanci, who, it is alleged, used his position as chief executive to conspire with his wife and defraud the company of millions of dollars.

Overcharging

The report comes just weeks before Mr Lanci is scheduled to take a senior role with Acer’s fiercest competitors, China-based Lenovo – a move that has already been the subject of a civil dispute.
Acer announced a week ago that they had filed a criminal complaint but did not name the parties involved. The statement said the company believed ‘that it might have been deliberately overcharged for a major internal event that was organised by a third-party supplier in 2011.’
It has since come to light that the third-party is Milan-based advertising and PR group Circle Line – run by Mr Lanci’s wife, Giuditta Soldadino.

Never invoiced

In a statement to the newspaper, Mr Lanci said: ‘The advertising has never been invoiced from Circle Line, but from another company of the group where my wife has a very minor share. I have never been personally involved in any negotiation or media-buying plan.’
French police are understood to be looking into the allegations.