Parmalat's administrator is likely to file lawsuits in the next few days seeking the return of more than €1bn ($1.3bn) from dozens of Italian banks that helped finance the dairy company before its spectacular collapse.

The move will represent a significant stepping up of efforts by Enrico Bondi, the administrator, to target financial institutions that he believes helped prolong fraud at Parmalat by helping the company with loans and access to the markets.