Naomi Campbell has launched an appeal against the decision to ban her from charity trusteeship, claiming that she was the victim of “systemic fraud” by a fellow trustee who set up a fake email account to impersonate her.

In September, the supermodel was disqualified from being a charity trustee for five years after a Charity Commission inquiry found a range of governance and financial failures at her charity, Fashion for Relief.

The regulator’s inquiry found that the charity spent less than 9 per cent of its expenditure on charitable grants and uncovered that tens of thousands of pounds had been spent on travel, accommodation, personal security and cigarettes.

But Campbell has since been granted permission to pursue an appeal against the regulator’s decision to ban her from trusteeship, in a ruling by a charity tribunal judge last month.

The supermodel claims that during her own investigations, carried out by lawyers and specialist investigators, documents submitted to the commission gave a “false impression” of her involvement in running the charity.

This allegedly includes evidence of a fake email account that was used by one of the charity’s other trustees at the time to impersonate Campbell in communications with lawyers.

The tribunal judge’s decision, seen by Third Sector, says that Campbell has alleged that Bianka Hellmich, one of Fashion for Relief’s former trustees, “perpetrated a systemic fraud” against Campbell through various means.

Hellmich told The Guardian newspaper there was “absolutely no truth to the allegations”. 

Campbell’s case includes claims that a fake email address was used to correspond with lawyers, withholding information and conducting a response to the Charity Commission’s inquiry “without [Campbell’s] authority or knowledge”, the tribunal decision says.

Hellmich was also banned from trusteeship after the commission’s inquiry, for a period of nine years.

In a statement, Campbell’s media representatives said the supermodel was not made aware of the allegations being made in the regulator’s inquiry about the mismanagement of the charity or her alleged role in it, adding that she “did not have the opportunity to answer them”.

A tribunal hearing is set to take place tomorrow (7 February) in London.

Campbell said: “Ever since the commission’s report, I have fought to uncover the facts. What has been unearthed so far is shocking. 

“I want to shine a light on how easy it is to fake identities online and prevent anybody else  going through what I have been through. I want to ensure that those responsible are held accountable and justice is done.

“Having begun legal action, I will have more to say in due course. This is just the beginning. As I have said before, I have never undertaken philanthropic work for personal gain, nor  will I ever do so.”

A Charity Commission spokesperson said: “The commission notes the tribunal’s initial ruling and the judge’s comment that the case will require Ms Campbell to prove very serious allegations of wrongdoing against a fellow trustee. 

“These are significant allegations for the courts to consider, and we will continue to co-operate fully with the tribunal as it does so.”