On Saturday, Sonaecom, which holds 50 per cent of the share capital of ZOPT SGPS, announced that "it was informed by its subsidiary of the communication received from the Central Criminal Investigation Court of Lisbon of the preventive seizure of 26.075 per cent of the share capital" of the telecommunications operator NOS.
"Following the judicial decision of preventive seizure of 26.075 per cent of the capital of NOS, SGPS, S.A. held by ZOPT, SGPS, S.A., and in view of the data available, the CMVM considers that the necessary information was provided to the market regarding the decision", according to an official source of the supervisory entity.
"The CMVM will continue to monitor the implications and developments of this process and ensure that market rules are complied with, in particular the quality of information provided to investors", he adds.
The position held is "corresponding to half of the shareholding in NOS held by ZOPT and, 'indirectly, by Unitel International Holdings, BV and Kento Holding Limited', controlled by Isabel dos Santos, according to Sonaecom.
ZOPT is owned 50 per cent by Sonaecom and the remaining half by Isabel dos Santos.
"Under the terms of this decision, the shares seized are deprived of the right to vote and the right to receive dividends, the latter to be deposited in Caixa Geral de Depósitos SA at the court order", added Sonaecom.
The company assumes "full cooperation with the authorities", but contests the manner in which the decision was carried out, as it considers that it does not fulfil the objective intended by the court itself and penalises Sonaecom and NOS.
"Sonaecom will take the appropriate steps with the judicial authorities to lift the seizure, not least because, in its opinion, the purposes of this measure can be better achieved by others with no impact on third parties", said the company, in the communiqué.
