Under the March preliminary agreement, IDMSA is to purchase 45% in the bank, at a price estimated at PLN 112.5mn (EUR 28.8mn), while PE fund Abris Capital Partners will purchase the remaining stake. Leszczynski declared that his company would like to exceed 50% of voting power in the lender by purchasing part of shares from Abris or from the market.

He stressed that since WestLB Bank Polska is not short of cash, IDMSA would prefer to buy existing shares rather than opt for taking over a new share issue.

Under the deal, the lender would have to be re-branded, but no decisions have been made yet on this subject.

amo/tom