The European Federation of Investors and Financial Services Users (Better Finance) has addressed an open letter to the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and the EU Commission noting the issue of complete expropriation cancellation of subordinated bonds from six Slovenian banks.
The letter follows an extensive discussion held by the Better Finance's General Meeting in November in Paris when a member of the VZMD Expert Council, Mr. Tadej Kotnik, and VZMD President, Mr. Kristjan Verbič, presented the scandalous expropriation of shareholders and bondholders of Slovenian banks, "Bail-in: How far does it have to go?" (presentation).
In its letter, Better Finance President, Mr. Jean Berthon, underlined the fact that some of the canceled bonds had been sold to individual investors over the bank counters as an alternative to deposits, while the brochure, which had been certified by the Securities Market Agency (ATVP), claimed that the risk of loss only existed if bankruptcy proceedings were initiated against a particular bank. Bonds were traded publicly also at the Ljubljana Stock Exchange and trading was in no way limited only to "well-informed" investors.
This intolerable situation in Slovenia has been going on for over two years, and Better Finance pointed out that during this time several bank "bail-ins" happened in the EU, but these proceedings were also completed - either by an investor settlement or settlement negotiations are already underway.
Since the Republic of Slovenia has not begun any such activities yet, Better Finance pointed out with deep concern that persisting on this kind of attitude toward expropriated investors and savers will have adverse consequences on the Slovenian investment atmosphere and the perception of the business and economic environment in the Republic of Slovenia.
Due to the above, Better Finance urged the European Commission and the Government of Republic of Slovenia in particular, to immediately examine the possibilities to resolve this untenable situation and begin settlement proceedings as soon as possible.
Better Finance's letter was sent last week to European Commission President, Mr. Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, Mr. Jyrki Katainen, Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union, Mr. Jonathan Hill, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Mr. Miro Cerar, and the Finance Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Mr. Dušan Mramor. A courtesy copy was also sent to VZMD President, Mr. Kristan Verbič, who is also a member of Better Finance's Executive Board.
The European Federation of Investors and Financial Services Users of which VZMD has been a full member since its foundation, is an European non-governmental organization bringing together over 50 national and international associations representing the interests of shareholders, individual investors, and other financial services users.
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EU COURT - prior to the pending public hearing in Luxembourg, new shocking facts have come out in regard to the background of the (dual) plunder of holders of shares and bonds of Slovenian banks and at the same time the plunder of all Slovenian taxpayers which rampantly keeps going on!
CONSTITUTIONAL COURT - VZMD also lodged a proposal for the temporary decree for PROHIBITING THE SALE OF Nova KBM bank - to prevent direct damage to the Republic of Slovenia and its citizens
STRESS TESTS – new and obvious proof of the extremely unequal adjudication of Slovenian banks – are they guilty in Brussels or Ljubljana, and what are their motives? The PanSlovenian Shareholders' Association (VZMD) has called on the Bank of Slovenia (BA) and the European Central Bank (ECB) to explain, why only in Slovenia are we left to use »static« and extremely pessimistic assumptions, while in other countries and banks of the EU fresh data and »dynamic« valuations are used and even allow for
Slovenian Constitutional Court acknowledges the legal interest of 293 initiators united by VZMD who demanded a constitutional review of the Banking Act (Ljubljana, January 2013)
WORLD BANK – President of VZMD and EuroFinUse Board Member speaker of the first panel at the international conference about audit reform and the importance of audit committees (Bucharest, June 2013)
INDIA – visit of Slovenian government and business delegation – on the basis of Memorandum between ICPE and VZMD international investors' programs investo.si and investo.international also present (New Delhi, February 2013)
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VIDEO REPORT - International Conference at the Brussels Stock Exchange Stimulated Investors' Representatives and Institutions to Participate at the Investors' Week 2012 in September in Slovenia(Brussels, March 2012)
www.vzmd.si – More on the VZMD – PanSlovenian Shareholders' Association
www.vzmd.tv and www.investo.tv – Over 300 videos from VZMD.TV and investo.tv
www.investo.si – More on the investo.si – Invest to Slovenia Program
www.investo.international – More on the network of 55 national organizations of shareholders and investors
EU COURT - prior to the pending public hearing in Luxembourg, new shocking facts have come out in regard to the background of the (dual) plunder of holders of shares and bonds of Slovenian banks and at the same time the plunder of all Slovenian taxpayers which rampantly keeps going on!
Prior to the public hearing in the EU Court in Luxembourg, last week's show on TV Slovenija called Točka preloma (Break-even point) opened up the opportunity to present the positions of lawyers Mr. Miha Kunič and Ms. Tamara Kek (VIDEO), who through shareholders' and bondholders' agreements as part of VZMD, directly represent over 1,100 expropriated aggrieved parties. Apart from the two lawyers and as part of the expert team of VZMD, the public hearing which was held today in Luxembourg was also attended by the lawyer Mr. Jorg Sladič, a member of the VZMD Expert Council, Mr. Tadej Kotnik and the VZMD President, Mr. Kristjan Verbič. The Bank of Slovenia announced that it will be represented at the hearing which takes only 10 minutes per party - by the Grilc Vouk Škof law firm and the Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer law firm from London - and that the total costs of this representation will not exceed EUR 85,000!!!
These days bear witness yet to another facts and moments indicating that cancellation of subordinated bonds and shares of Slovenian banks actually was a plunder of the century. Last week's media publications regarding the conflict of interests of the Executive Director of the Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC), Mr. Janez Škrubej - who was previously the managing director of Deloitte Svetovanje, d.o.o. - time and again corroborate the facts which have been pointed out by VZMD ever since the shocking expropriations occurred almost two years ago. The consultancy (!!) Deloitte namely did, for an enormous amount (again as instructed by the Bank of Slovenia!) a calculation of an extremely negative capital of NLB which triggered the cancellations of holders of shares and bonds and transfers of receivables to DUTB, while its managing director simultaneously stood for the Executive Director of BAMC and was selected out of 250 candidates!
VZMD has since March 2015 pointed to the fact that the Bank of Slovenia performed a manipulation (VIDEO PRESS RELEASE) and commissioned assessments at Deloitte Svetovanje and Ernst & Young Svetovanje consultancies, which are neither auditing firms nor independent corporate and real estate valuers, which they should be pursuant to the Act Defining the Measures of the Republic of Slovenia to Strengthen Bank Stability (ZUKSB) – certified valuer shall be a natural person who has the expertise in valuing companies and real estate. Since the companies mentioned are not auditing firms they cannot be independent valuers as required by the Banking Act. An auditor must follow the International Accounting Standards (IAS), whereas a consultancy is not obliged to. Deloitte expressly stated in the assessment report that no IAS had been applied (Counterarguments to recent statements by the Bank of Slovenia along with additional disclosure of misleading statements, falsehoods and unlawfulness, March 12, 2015).
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