David Rossi, born in 1961, was found dead at the bank's Siena headquarters on Thursday, lying beneath an open window overlooking a back street outside the building, a restored 14th century fortress.
Prosecutors in Siena are investigating whether Rossi, known as a reserved and serious professional, committed suicide, a judicial source said on Thursday.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Rossi, who was not under investigation himself, was among several people whose homes and offices were searched last month as part of a probe into the lender's purchase of Antonveneta in 2007 and subsequent losses linked to complex derivatives deals.
The move marks a broadening of the inquiry into how the world’s oldest lender hid losses before seeking a government rescue bailout.
Former Monte Paschi managers are already being probed over allegations of obstructing regulators, market manipulation and false accounting related to the acquisition of Banca Antonveneta SpA, people with knowledge of the situation said last month, asking not to be identified.
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