Cesare Geronzi, the veteran Italian banker and power-broker, was ordered on Wednesday to stand trial on charges of contributing to the fraudulent bankruptcy of Parmalat, the food group that collapsed in December 2003.

A judge in the city of Parma also indicted Matteo Arpe, former chief executive of Capitalia, the bank that was acquired in May by UniCredit, on a lesser charge of failing to prevent fraud committed by others in the Parmalat scandal.