"Zlomrex is entered in the book of shareholders and we have no other information about somebody else being the majority owner," Popijac said in response to reporters' questions in Opatija where he was attending the opening of the general assembly of the Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
"The issue of the Carlson Fund is of a legal nature and it should be treated accordingly," said the minister when asked to comment on claims by the British Carlson Private Equity Fund that it holds a majority stake in the steel mill in the biggest Croatian Adriatic city.
The Carlson Private Equity sent a statement to the Croatian national broadcaster (HRT) yesterday claiming that it held 95.86 percent of shares in Zeljezara Split after it and Poland's Zlomrex signed an agreement on 8 September for the purchase of 223,060 shares in the steel mill.
Following a query from Hina, the economy ministry said that during the last 12 months nobody from this ministry had contacted the Carlson Private Equity.
"According to the information available to the ministry, which can be obtained from regular contacts with Zlomrex representatives over recent months, we are not acquainted with the possibility that the Carlson fund is the owner of those shares. However, exact data on the relationship between Zlomrex and the Carlson fund can be obtained only from them," the ministry said in a statement.
Asked about its position on Zlomrex's proposal of yesterday for solving property relations in the Zeljezara Split steel mill, the ministry said that this proposal by the Polish company "is now under consideration and it is too early to comment on the position the Croatian side is going to take".
Workers of the steel mill demand the termination of the agreement with Zlomrex, holding it responsible for the grave situation in the company.
In the meantime, the Zagreb-based C.I.O.S. has announced a possibility of taking the Split factory on lease.