CAVALLI FACES JAIL
ROBERTO CAVALLI could face two years in jail now that the case which saw him originally accused of fraud in 2000 has come to the attention of Judge Linda Vannucci. The case, for which Vannucci is currently considering both a verdict and a sentence, alleges that the 65-year-old designer spent £1.5 million on renovating his Tuscan villa before trying to claim the amount as a business expense and therefore tax deductible. Cavalli claims the works, which included a helicopter hanger, landing pad and inside and outside swimming pools, were part of his business, since his villa – famously one of the finest in Italy – is used for fashion shoots. "My house is not my home," he said. "It`s my workplace, it`s my office, it`s my imagination and where I have fashion shoots. It`s the place Madonna, Sting, Cindy Crawford and Jennifer Lopez try the clothes I create. I have to have luxury, my work requires it and my house is used for VIP parties. That`s why I claimed the cost against my firm`s tax liability." Cavalli lives in the villa with his wife, former Miss Universe Eva Duringer, and their three children. (February 20 2006, AM)(Vogue.co.uk)