News Parkiet

Privatization

PGNiG files charges against Guzowaty

Poland's biggest natural gas company PGNiG filed criminal charges against Polish businessman Aleksander Guzowaty after he stated publicly that the group's shares were underpriced in last month's initial public offering. State-owned PGNiG sold 900 million shares at 2.98 zloty each. The stock surged over 30 percent on the first day of trading.

The SEC, which said it has received PGNiG's claim, has yet to react to charges against one of Poland's wealthiest individuals.

Telecommunications

TPSA raises stake in Centertel

France Telecom unit Telekomunikacja Polska, Poland's biggest local phone company, has agreed to pay as much as 4.88 billion zloty for a stake in PTK Centertel, one of the country's three mobile phone companies. TPSA bought 34 percent of Centertel, raising its stake to 100 percent. It said it would borrow 1.3 billion zloty from France Telecom to finance the deal.

TPSA officials also said Centertel, which sells mobile services under 'Orange' brand, may start paying divididends to its parent at some point in the future.

Centertel, which has over 9 million subscribers and a third of the local market, reported 5.64 billion zloty ($1.7 billion) in sales last year.

Financial services

Goldenegg sees higher mortgage loan sales

Privately held morgage broker Goldenegg expects to sell mortgage loans worth up to 130 million zloty this year. It plans to hire 20 new sales staff by the end of this year on top of 65 salespeople it already has.

Chemicals

Kompania has no plans to sell Ciech stake

State-owned mining group Kompania Węglowa has no plans to sell its 37 percent stake in Ciech, a publicly traded soda ash maker. KW has agreed to a lengthy lockup period when it got its Ciech shares from the government in an attempt to shore up its finances.