Use of the nominee entities to disguise intercompany loans from one Parmalat S.p.A.
subsidiary to another subsidiary that was experiencing operating losses. Specifically, a
loan from one subsidiary would be made to another subsidiary operating at a loss. The
recipient would then improperly apply the loan proceeds to offset its expenses and
thereby increase the appearance of profitability. As a result, rather than having a neutral
effect on the consolidated financials, the loan transaction would serve to inflate both
assets and net income.