Deutsche Bank said it was examining the papers but believed the claim to be unfounded and would consequently mount a strong defence.
Banking sources told ANSA the lawsuit was filed in Parma, where the multinational has its headquarters and where prosecutors are investigating the fraudulent bankruptcy. According to the sources, the request is restricted to the banks' dealings with Parmalat in 2003. Parmalat was declared bankrupt in December 2003 after it emerged that 4 billion euros it supposedly held in an offshore account did not in fact exist. It slowly emerged that a 14.5-billion-euro hole existed in the group's accounts.
The company's meltdown caused a scandal in Italy, where its numerous top-selling food brands and its ownership of Serie A soccer club Parma had turned it into a household name.
Under Bondi's management, Parmalat has pruned away many non-core activities and is planning to relist on the stock market in autumn. Bondi has also filed three lawsuits in the US against the group's former auditors, Citigroup bank and Bank of America. Earlier this month, a US federal judge dismissed 10 of 12 claims by Parmalat against Bank of America but he allowed it to continue with a 10 billion dollars lawsuit.
In an Italian lawsuit on August 5, Parmalat sued US bank J.P. Morgan and Italy's Unicredito bank for 4.4 billion euros. All the banks have denied involvement in wrongdoing.
