Pescara, Italy - An Italian man suspected of helping a Swiss gigolo blackmail several rich women, including German BMW car heiress Susanne Klatten, appeared briefly in an Italian court Tuesday where he denied any wrongdoing.

A preliminary hearing involving the 69-year-old Ernano Barretta was postponed until April 9 on a technicality related to the choice of the presiding magistrate.

"What has been said about me are lies," Barretta told reporters as he left a courthouse in the central town of Pescara.

"I would like to meet Mrs Klatten in person. I love Germany," he said.

German and Italian investigators suspect Barretta and several family members of colluding with convicted Swiss blackmailer Helg Sgarbi.

Earlier this month, a German court sentenced the 44-year-old Sgarbi to six years in prison after he confessed to charges brought against him by four women, including Klatten.

They accused him of seducing them to extort more than 9 million euros (11 million dollars) in blackmail.

The case was initiated when Klatten, a 46-year-old publicity-shy mother of three, went to the police and exposed Sgarbi, after he had tried to extort 14 million euros by threatening to publicize secret video recordings of them having sex.

Investigators believe Barretta filmed some of the footage involving Sgarbi and Klatten.

It remains unclear what became of the money Sgarbi received from the women and the video recordings of his encounters with them that he claimed to have had in his possession.

Italian prosecutors allege that some of the ransom money included 1 million euros found at holiday resort owned by Barretta near Pescara.

On Tuesday, Barretta's lawyer, Sabatino Ciprietti, denied this, saying the cash came from his client's "business activities." (dpa)