Nomura says Italian prosecutors ordered unit's assets frozen

Nomura Holdings <8604.T> said on Friday that Italian prosecutors had ordered a unit's assets in Italy frozen in relation to an ongoing legal dispute over a derivates financing deal with Italian bank Monte Dei Paschi .

Nomura Chief Financial Officer Shigesuke Kashiwagi told an earnings briefing that it had been informed of the order over Nomura Bank International's (NBI) assets in Italy on April 23, which it said comprised a small amount of cash and receivables.

Kashiwagi said Nomura believed the move was unwarranted given that NBI was not directly involved in the derivatives trades with Monte Dei Paschi.

Kashiwagi added that the action would have no impact on the settlement of the Japanese bank's trades across Europe.

(Reporting by Nathan Layne; Editing by Edmund Klamann)