According to a French newspaper report, Hanna Agostini, one of wine guru Robert Parker’s principal associates in France, was being questioned by police in Bordeaux on Wednesday as part of an investigation into fraudulent accounting.
The investigation has centred on Isabel Teles Pinto, a former employee of the SA Vignobles Rocher Cap de Rive (SA VRCR), which owns around 800 hectares of Bordeaux vineyards and is part of Benelux group, Geens.
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Pinto who was managing several “chateaux” for SA VRCR is being investigated with breach of trust and misappropriation of corporate funds.
Her employer accuses her of embezzelling €800,000 through false invoices.
Agostini’s husband Eric, a wine lawyer, told the French press that the police wanted clarifications about receipts for money paid to his wife which allegedly bear the name of Parker’s influential wine review “Wine Advocate.”
“These receipts are fake. Robert Parker has nothing to do with this business. Someone is settling scores against my wife,” he was quoted as saying.
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By GlobalData
As Parker’s associate, Agostini has collected information for his wine guide and provided translation services. She has also organised tastings and introduced Parker to wine producers.
