Naomi Campbell has today won a legal battle to overturn a five-year ban on being a charity trustee imposed by the Charity Commission. 

The 56-year-old appealed after an investigation into her charity – Fashion For Relief – uncovered serious mismanagement of funds.

But a tribunal has found that she was ‘deceived’ by another board member and her ban was overturned. 

The Charity Commission found that charity money donated to Fashion For Relief had been used to cover expenses including Campbell’s stay at a five-star hotel in Cannes, as well as spa treatments, room service and cigarettes.

Ms Campbell was one of three trustees disqualified following the probe. Former trustee Bianka Hellmich received a nine-year ban, while Veronica Chou was disqualified for four years.

But Naomi claimed she was herself misled and impersonated during the inquiry, alleging that forged documents and fake email accounts were used without her knowledge.

Arriving at the tribunal in June, Campbell said in a written statement: ‘I am bringing this appeal to shine a light on the deception I believe was waged against the charity, stopping money from going to the causes it was supposed to.

‘My investigation has revealed identity fraud and deception and helps uncover why most of the funds weren’t used as intended.

‘What my legal team has unearthed is shocking, involving fake email addresses and forged communications with the authorities.

‘I have never undertaken philanthropic work for personal gain, nor will I ever do so.’ 

Naomi Campbell, pictured at the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku, has overturned a ban on her being a charity trustee

The supermodel blamed Bianka Hellmich, accusing her of ‘deception’

Today judges sided with her.

In a judgment on Thursday, the three-person tribunal ruled in the supermodel’s favour, finding she had been ‘deceived’ by fellow trustee Bianka Hellmich.

Judges Helen Neville and James Armstrong-Holmes, sitting with a third member, said: ‘There was serious misconduct and mismanagement in the administration of the charity she founded, Fashion for Relief.

‘The tribunal has found, however, that its most serious features, including unauthorised payments to Ms Campbell’s co-trustee, Bianka Hellmich, failures in the management of the charity’s finances and the misuse of its funds, resulted from Ms Hellmich’s conduct and were concealed from Ms Campbell.’

Giving evidence in person in London earlier this year, Ms Campbell repeatedly insisted that she had been deceived by those she trusted.

The supermodel said: ‘I’m here because I have been deceived, you are here because you have been deceived, so let’s both be respectful to each other.’

The remark came during exchanges with Faisel Sadiq, counsel for the Charity Commission, as he cross-examined her about her role in the charity’s management.

Campbell said her ‘only mistake’ had been trusting Hellmich, whom she alleges forged her signature and falsely presented herself as a specialist charity lawyer.

She told the tribunal: ‘I did not do a check on Bianka (Hellmich) – when I’m introduced to a lawyer, I assume they are acting within the law.’

Rejecting suggestions that she should have carried out more due diligence, Campbell added: ‘I don’t look at it as a failure, I look at it as me trusting someone that I knew, someone that was a lawyer.’

Pressed further on whether she should have done more, she replied: ‘I trusted the wrong person, what more do you want?

‘You trusted her too because you were in communication with her until we let you know that you were deceived.’

The tribunal has previously heard allegations from Campbell’s legal team that Hellmich received hundreds of thousands of pounds from charity funds over a number of years.

Campbell’s lawyers argue that Hellmich held herself out as an experienced legal professional and advised the model that she could adopt a limited, figurehead role focused on fundraising while others dealt with regulatory and financial matters.

In written submissions, Andrew Westwood KC, representing Campbell, said Hellmich had carried out ‘a long-term and consistent scheme of mismanagement and deception’ and concealed it from Campbell and others.

Naomi Campbell arriving at a central London tribunal in June to fight against her five-year ban from serving as a charity trustee. She won that battle today

The Charity Commission disputed that argument, maintaining that trustees cannot simply delegate away their legal responsibilities.

Its counsel argued that it was not legally open to Campbell to ‘abdicate’ her duties as a trustee, regardless of any reliance placed on advisers.

The hearing marks the latest chapter in a saga that overshadowed what should have been one of the proudest moments of Campbell’s career.

Last year, the fashion icon received one of France’s highest cultural honours when she was appointed a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in Paris, recognising her contribution to the arts after nearly four decades in the industry.

But on the very same day, headlines around the world focused instead on the Charity Commission’s findings against Fashion For Relief.

Campbell has since maintained that she believed money raised through the charity was reaching the causes it was intended to support.