The Bank of Italy was not given any warnings ahead of the near-collapse of food firm Parmalat in a multi-billion-euros accounting scandal, sources said yesterday, rebutting an economy ministry attack.

"The Bank of Italy was never sent any signs about Parmalat," newspapers quoted one Bank of Italy source saying, the highest profile yet response from the bank and its governor Antonio Fazio to criticism by Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti.

"Open war between the Bank of Italy and the Treasury," Corriere della Sera declared in its front-page article.

A central bank source confirmed the comments to Reuters yesterday and said concerns over Parmalat were not mentioned at an interministerial meeting last July, which Tremonti had said discussed the issue.

The source added that any credible reports would have had to be sent to stock market regulator Consob.

The sudden revelation in December of Parmalat's accounting shortfall, which prosecutors say could top 10 billion euros, has raised questions about Italy's regulators, as well as the role played by Italian and international banks and auditors.

In parliament last Thursday, Tremonti called for broad regulatory reforms that would include shifting some of the Bank of Italy's powers over bank mergers and financial instruments to the anti-trust authority and to Consob.