Eksportconsult AS (controlled by InterOil Chairman Mårten Rød) and Force Capital Partners AS (controlled by InterOil CEO Nils N. Trulsvik) have received a NOK 57.6 million tax claim (in total) from Norwegian tax authorities. The claim is related to InterOil Exploration and Production ASA's acquisition of the Swiss based company InterOil S.A. from, among others, Eksportconsult and Force Capital Partners, in 2005. The claim has been appealed, and the legal advisors of the companies are optimistic on behalf of the companies with respect of the outcome of the appeal.
Eksportconsult and Force Capital Partners have requested that InterOil covers the payment, which has to be made to the tax authorities if it becomes final, together with loss of interests and costs. The request is based on the 2005 Share Purchase Agreement and background law regulating the sale of the InterOil SA shares. The parties, together with their respective legal advisors, are now in constructive discussions and are quite optimistic with respect to concluding the matter within short time. We will inform the market and our investors immediately as soon as the discussions have been concluded.
For more information please contact:
Wilhelm Matheson
CFO
Tel: +47 6751 8652
Mob: +47 4147 8558
Fax: +47 6751 8660
E-mail: w.matheson@interoil.no
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InterOil Exploration & Production ASA is a Norwegian based exploration and production company - listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange - with focus on Latin-America and West-Africa. The company is operator of several production and exploration assets in Peru and Colombia, and is an active license partner in Angola and Ghana. InterOil currently employs approximately 200 people and is headquartered in Oslo.