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SEMBCORP
Marine Ltd., the world’s second-largest oil rig builder,
will pay Societe Generale $115.45 million to close
trades that contributed to $303 million of
foreign-exchange losses.
Jurong
Shipyard Pte, a wholly owned unit, will make the
payment, plus interest, November 19, SembCorp Marine
said in a statement to the Singapore stock exchange.
The yard
sold 300 million of preference shares at S$1 apiece to
its parent to replenish capital, according to the
statement.
Jurong
Shipyard is in talks with other banks involved in
foreign exchange deals it claims were not properly
authorized and should not be binding.
The
payment was demanded by
Paris-
based Societe Generale as a condition for closing the
trades, and SembCorp Marine said it expects repayment if
it wins a dispute with the 11 lenders involved trades of
US dollar and euros.
“Societe
Generale accepts that such payment is without prejudice
to Jurong Shipyard’s position that the transactions are
unauthorized and is subject to Jurong Shipyard’s right
to a refund of the monies from Societe Generale in the
event that the dispute on the validity of the
transactions is ultimately resolved in Jurong Shipyard’s
favor,” SembCorp Marine said.
Spokesman Judy Han couldn’t be reached at her office
while Societe Generale declined to comment on the issue.
SembCorp
Marine shares were unchanged at S$4.32 at the midday
break in Singapore.
The
stock has climbed 78 percent this year, making it the
sixth-best performer on the 47-member Straits Times
Index.
No
provision for the foreign-exchange losses will be
included in earnings results until a probe is completed,
SembCorp Marine has said. (Bloomberg) |