Sunday, March 10, 2013

Australian court refuses Perdaman’s request to sue ICICI Bank


In January, Perdaman Chemicals said it filed a lawsuit against ICICI Bank seeking damages worth 3.2 billion Australian dollar, claiming that the Indian bank restrained Griffin Coal from supplying coal to its upcoming urea plant in Western Australia. Photo: Ramesh Pathania/Mint
In January, Perdaman Chemicals said it filed a lawsuit against ICICI Bank seeking damages worth 3.2 billion Australian dollar, claiming that the Indian bank restrained Griffin Coal from supplying coal to its upcoming urea plant in Western Australia. Photo: Ramesh Pathania/Mint







Live Mint : PTI : FRi :8th Mar 2013

Court says ICICI Bank cannot be dragged into the legal dispute as it had had no obligations to Perdaman


The Federal Court of Australia in its ruling has saidICICI Bank Ltd that financed Lanco Group for acquisition of Griffin Coal cannot be dragged into the legal dispute that Perdaman Chemicals and Fertilisers has with the Indian infrastructure company over coal supply issue.
Federal Court Justice Neil McKerracher, on 6 March, refused Perdaman’s request to formally serve the bank with the lawsuit in Singapore.
“The Bank had no obligations to Perdaman nor was it negotiating with or bargaining with Perdaman. The bank was entitled to and, on one view, obliged to obtain the best possible security it could to protect the interests of the financiers,” Justice Mckerracher observed in the judgement.
In January, Australia-based Perdaman Chemicals said it filed a lawsuit against ICICI Bank Ltd seeking damages worth 3.2 billion Australian dollar (around Rs.18,010 crore today), claiming that the Indian bank restrained Griffin Coal from supplying coal to its upcoming urea plant in Western Australia.
Griffin Coal was acquired by Lanco for 730 million Australian dollars in March, 2011 and a syndicate of lenders led by ICICI Bank financed the acquisition.
Perdaman claimed that it spent nearly 195 million Australian dollars on the project and the termination of coal supply agreement prevented it from getting financing for the construction of the urea fertilizer plant at an estimated value of 3.39 billion Australian dollars.
“The bank was the financier for Lanco in its acquisition of Griffin. It was entitled to protect its own interests and to impose and to adhere to whatever security requirements it could achieve in its dealings with Lanco.”
An email sent to Perdaman seeking its reaction to the judgement yielded no reply till filing this report.
Perdaman last year had filed 3.5 billion Australian dollars separate lawsuit against Lanco in Australia, alleging non-compliance with fuel supply pact by Griffin Coal for its upcoming urea plant in Western Australia.
Terming Perdaman’s move to drag ICICI Bank into the dispute as “desperate attempt in frustration”, Lanco earlier has said.
ICICI has no contractual relationship with Perdaman.












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