Monte Paschi says knows nothing about NIT 10 billion euro offer
MILAN (Reuters) - NIT Holdings Limited has proposed a 10 billion euro (7.81 billion pound) investment in Italy's Monte dei Paschi , according to a statement from an Italian public relations firm on Monday, but a spokesman for the Italian bank said it had not received any proposal.
The statement said the group, which its website says is a holding and portfolio company registered under Hong Kong law, sent its proposal through an Italian law firm in Florence.
However a spokesperson for Monte Paschi said: "We have received nothing".
Luca Capecchi, the lawyer mentioned in the statement from the public relations firm, told Reuters by telephone he had forwarded details of NIT's offer to Italian financial authorities.
Rodolfo Varano Di Camerino, who said he was an agent for NIT and whose name was passed on by Capecchi, said the offer was for at least 51 percent of MPS.
The Bank of Italy was not immediately available to comment and phone calls to phone numbers on NIT's website were not answered.
The market capitalisation of the bank is about 3.16 billion euros. Asked why the offer was more than three times as much, Camerino said the aim of the deal would be to strengthen the bank.
(Reporting by Francesca Landini, Silvia Aloisi and Alberto Sisto; writing by Francesca Landini and Philip Pullella)
