A mysterious US firm that has recently entered the race to acquire NKBM, Slovenia's second largest bank, revealed Friday it wanted to leverage the bank to "designate and consolidate its presence on the Balkans."
"In spite of the delay in applying on time for participation in acquisition process we would like to stress that GBCI is highly motivated to settle the case in the nearest future," Global Bancorp Commodities and Investments said in a statement issued through a Slovenian law firm.
The move comes after Večer reported three weeks ago that a mystery bidder had emerged just as the sellers were entering the final phase of negotiations with two bidders reported to be Hungarian bank OTP and the US private equity fund Apollo.
Given that the firm is registered in a Florida suite, had no website and had not publicly disclosed any of its other investments, media raised doubts about its seriousness given many instances of fake white knights that had emerged in the past for a variety of Slovenian firms.
GBCI said it wanted to "avoid misrepresentation or distortion of facts", adding that it was "in close contact with Lazard Group," which acts as advisor in the sale.
Director Francesco Biasi said the firm was seeking to create a multifaceted corporation in the export-import, trading and exchange of petroleum, natural gas, metallic and non-metallic minerals.
As for NKBM, it wants to use it in financing "large infrastructure projects (private and state-involved ones); in developing hospitality and tourism in the Southeast of Europe; in mutually advantageous cooperation with small and medium size enterprises of Slovenia."
Source: The Slovenia Times
