<b>ABTA FRAUD LATEST:</B> Executive named

ABTA?s head of legal services, Riccardo Nardi, has been named as the executive at the centre of the organisation?s fraud allegations. ABTA head of corporate affairs, Keith Betton told TravelMole that ABTA is pursuing a civil action against Mr Nardi. He said that ABTA would be pursuing Mr Nardi for ?960,000. Mr Betton also said that no-one else was being pursued as part of the investigation. Mr Nardi was appointed to the senior role at ABTA in 1996 but joined the organisation some years before that. A report in the Sunday Times yesterday outlined Mr Nardi?s opulent lifestyle. He drives a Porsche Boxster and his wife drives a BMW X5. According to the report the assets of Mr Nardi and his wife?s, including their house in Pulloxhill, Bedfordshire, have been frozen by the High Court. Mr Betton said ABTA is currently talking to “an independent body” that will look into the organisation’s claims procedure. He out ruled a complete overhaul of the claims department. Report by Ginny McGrath