Investment group Penta as one of the bidders for A-TEC Industries AG has serious indications from sources close to the process, that A-TEC's Supervisory Board is allegedly going to decide on the investor tomorrow. We have not received any official information or statement, which would confirm, that the negotiations with Penta would be on hold.
The groundless personal and emotional attacks by Mr. Kovats against Penta, published in the Austrian media, are considered by Penta as an attempt to distract attention from the planned decision tomorrow.
Despite of that, we highly care about the reputation of our company and we are forced to react on groundless allegations being raised by Mr. Kovats:
- Penta has enough funds to invest in A-TEC, which was undoubtedly proved. Our binding offer included a bank statement, which is an evidence, that Penta has enough of own equity to finance A-TEC transaction. If we are exempt of confidentiality by A-TEC and Trustee, we can provide this sort of evidence publically.
- Penta founders are 5 physical persons – partners, Czech and Slovak nationals (currently 7 partners – all of them published on our website), former school mates, who established the company at the beginning of 90’s and started to invest on rapidly developing Slovak capital market. There were number of similar brokers in former Czechoslovakia in that time. Founding and further operations of Penta have no connection to the structures mentioned in Mr. Kovats’ allegation. For more details about Penta history and its founders please see Penta Story.
- Penta has no relation to Mr. Gorbach and we expressly decline, that he is working as lobbyist for us.
- Regarding the role of Mr. Schätti and Contor Industries, we can only repeat, what we already said. Mr. Schätti received insider information within the tender process, which we can also prove once we are exempt of confidentiality. He was copied in many emails dealing with confidential details of our offer, was present at a meeting between us and A-TEC and one can assume, that he received also details on the other bids. We have never experienced something similar in the numerous tenders we have been engaged.
Our lawyers are watching the process very closely and we will discuss potential legal consequences of the allegations, or violations of the tender rules.