Prosecutors seek trial for ex UniCredit CEO - source

Unicredit Group bank CEO Federico Ghizzoni attends a news conference in downtown Milan October 1, 2010.

MILAN (Reuters) - Italian prosecutors want former UniCredit (CRDI.MI) CEO Alessandro Profumo and 19 others to stand trial for alleged tax fraud stemming from the use of financial instruments provided by Barclays (BARC.L), a judicial source said on Thursday.

A judge will now have to decide whether to accept or reject the request.

The case centres on suspected tax evasion in 2007 and 2008 stemming from a complex financial scheme, known as Project Brontos, which was set up by Barclays and used by UniCredit.

Prosecutors say Profumo, as chief executive of UniCredit at the time, authorised the use of the scheme. Sixteen other people from UniCredit and three Barclays employees are also under investigation in the case.

In a statement, Profumo said he was confident he would be cleared in the case. UniCredit, Italy's largest bank by assets, was not available for comment but has previously denied any wrongdoing. Barclays declined to comment.

As part of the probe, prosecutors had seized 245 million euros of UniCredit assets last October, though a Milan court later annulled the seizure.

(Reporting By Manuela D'Alessandro; Editing by Will Waterman)