The Slovenian market competition agency on Tuesday decided to temporarily ban the sale of shares of the Mercator retail chain owned by the Pivovarna Lasko (PL) brewery.
According to the Slovenian media, the reason for this decision is a "disputable concerted action" of companies making up the brewery group in 2009 whereby they dismissed the then Mercator supervisory board.
The temporary ban on the sale was imposed on the same day when the PL brewery was expected to decide on whether to accept Agrokor's offer to buy its 23.34-percent stake in the biggest Slovenian retailer or to accede to organising a new international tender for the sale of Mercator shares owned by the brewery and several Slovenian banks.
On 20 April, the brewery management said that it was continuing negotiations on a possible sale of its 23.34-percent interest in Mercator to Croatia's private Agrokor concern, although the leading Slovenian retailer was trying to organise a new international tender for selling 60 percent of its equity to a European "strategic partner".
"PL is continuing negotiations with Agrokor and they are being held in a fair manner," an unnamed source from the brewery was quoted by the STA news agency as saying.
Agrokor has in the meantime increased its offer from EUR 206 per share to EUR 221.
The temporary ban on the sale of Mercator shares also refers to the six banks.
