Italian prosecutors open BFF Bank false accounting probe, sources say (updated)

BFF Bank SpA

16/02/2026 17:20

Milan prosecutors investigating BFF Bank, two sources say

BFF this month restated 2024 accounts, booked one-off charges

Prosecutors probe accuracy of financial statements, sources say

Probe looks into BFF disclosure of 95 million euro charge

Adds BFF statement in paragraphs 2-3-5

By Emilio Parodi

MILAN, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Milan prosecutors have opened an investigation into alleged false accounting at Italian specialist lender BFF Bank BFF.MI, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Monday.

BFF confirmed in a statement news of the probe, saying it was aware Milan prosecutors had started the investigation at the end of 2023.

"BFF has, from the very beginning, made itself available to cooperate with the public prosecutor’s office and to provide any information that may be of assistance to the investigating authorities," it said. The prosecutors are investigating the accuracy of BFF's financial statements, the two sources told Reuters. News of the probe was first reported by Italian daily Milano Today Dossier.

BFF's share price fell as much as 14% after the Reuters report and closed down 12%. The bank's shares are down almost 60% year-to-date, having lost 44% on February 2 alone when BFF said it was booking extraordinary charges.

BFF said in the statement those measures had been a decision by its management following internal evaluations.

The Bank of Italy imposed a ban on BFF paying dividends to shareholders after its 2024 audit, challenging the way the bank classified overdue public sector loans, in particular how it counted the number of days they were in arrears.

The probe by Milan prosecutors includes BFF's market disclosure earlier this month of a 95 million euro ($113 million) one-off charge, the sources said, adding that no individuals were currently under investigation.

BFF specialises in buying suppliers' receivables at a discount — known as factoring — and then collects the full amount from the public sector entities when they eventually settle their bills.

It said on February 2 it had restated its 2024 accounts after identifying a mistake in the way some 54 million euros in factoring proceeds had been booked prior to June 2023.

Additionally, it said it would book about 95 million in one-off charges in 2025, mostly provisions on receivables tied to negative court rulings it has appealed, and additional costs linked to longer expected collection times.

($1 = 0.8436 euros)

 (Additional reporting by Valentina Za; Editing by Alexander Smith and Diane Craft)

 ((emilio.parodi@thomsonreuters.com; +39 06 8030 7744))