The Aker controversy:
Roekke breaks the silence
After three weeks of silence, investor Kjell Inge Roekke at a press conference on Wednesday broke the silence to give his version of the recent controversial transactions between Aker ASA and Aker Solutions.
An obviously angry and at times moved Roekke first criticised the media and the many journalists present.
- It is easier to teach kengurus ambling than to convince you, Roekke said to the press.
He admitted that the going had been tough the past weeks: - This is bordering on what I can take, both physically and mentally.
He then went on to defend the transactions in which Aker Solutions AS acquired several shareholdings from companies in the Aker ASA group as well as from DOF Oilfield Service AS.
Roekke attacked both the state and the Minister of Industry, Sylvia Brustad, for the way they had handled the issue, when they demanded that the agreement be re-negotiated.
The Minister has demanded that the deal should be re-negotiated at an extraordinary general meeting of the Aker Solution ASA.
This was rejected by Roekke: The transactions have been made, and are binding, he said.
However, he did not rule out the possibility of an adjustment of the conditions of the deal, after an independent international agency which has been called in, has conducted a new review of the transactions which took place on 1 April 2009.
Industry Minister Sylvia Brustad said to NRK after the press conference that she regretted her choice of word when she had criticised Roekke two weeks ago. She believes Roekke is open for finding solutions in the controversial transactions.
Source: Norway Post/Aftenposten/NRK
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