The US investment fund Colbeck Capital has submitted the highest bid for a 58% stake in the Serbian incumbent Telekom Srbija.
Danas reports that the bid, at €1.47 billion, is €170 million more than the next biggest one and that the Serbian state considers the offer “satisfactory”.
It adds that Colbeck Capital’s bid is supported another US investment fund (Yucaipa), which is owned by Ronald Burkle, and has the backing of Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley and Raiffesen Bank International.
To assist it in its bid, Colbeck has also hired Peter Fojo, the president of Nextel de Mexico, a subsidiary of Nll Holdings.
As recently reported in Broadband TV News, six bids have been received for the majority stake in Telekom Srbija.
Aside from Colbeck, they are understood to have come from Advent International, the EBRD, Mid Europa Partners (MEP), Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Telekom Slovenije.