Canada-based dairy giant Saputo has launched legal action against sections of the Canadian media after allegations that linked the company’s founder to the Mafia.
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In December, Lino Saputo, who is still the company’s chairman, faced claims that he was linked to Italian Mariano Turrisi, who had been arrested over an alleged C$600m (US$587m) money laundering scam.
The company then protested Mr. Saputo’s innocence, telling just-food that the 70-year-old “vigorously contests the contents of the articles as well as any allegations and insinuations with respect to any involvement, or that of his family and businesses, with criminal activities and/or organisations”.
Today (10 March), the company said it, and Mr. Saputo, had begun legal actions for defamation.
“The newspaper articles contained false allegations about Mr. Lino Saputo and Saputo Inc. and we will not tolerate the dissemination of false and misleading information which is harmful to our name, reputation and business interests,” said company president and CEO Lino Saputo Jr.
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By GlobalDataThe company said Mr. Saputo had never met, spoken to, nor business with Turrisi. The dairy giant claimed that Turrisi had falsely used the Saputo name.
The company added that Mr. Saputo had “never taken part in any money-laundering operation or other illegal scheme of any nature whatsoever”.
