SALE OF SUNCANI HVAR COMPANY UNDER QUESTION: HFP

ZAGREB, Feb 3 (Hina) - The Croatian Privatisation Fund (HFP) on Monday received a temporary court measure preventing it from alienating and burdening 20.97 percent of the Suncani Hvar hotel company, which makes it impossible for the HFP to execute a January 23 government decision on selling the company to Slovenia's Terme Catez. #L# The HFP officials assess that the government, respecting the court's decision, will cancel its decision accepting the offer of Terme Catez to buy shares of Suncani Hvar. In a press release, the HFP says that it received the temporary measure from the Zagreb Commercial Court. Under the measure, the HFP is prevented from alienating and burdening 945,067 shares of the Croatian company. The measure was requested by the privatisation and investment fund "Pleter d.d." from Varazdin, which initiated arbitration proceedings against the HFP on December 28 before the Croatian Chamber of Commerce's permanent elected panel of judges. Pleter insisted that the HFP should respect a contract on exchanging shares which they were given during voucher privatisation. The HFP announced it would appeal with the Higher Commercial Court in Zagreb. (hina) lml sb