ECKERT & ZIEGLER Strahlen- und Medizintechnik AG / Legal Matter/Final Results
Release of an Ad hoc announcement according to § 15 WpHG, transmitted by
DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Berlin, 18.3.2009. In its accounts review meeting today, the Executive
Board of Eckert & Ziegler AG (ISIN DE0005659700) resolved to post a
provision of 7.14 million EUR in its 2008 annual financial statements
against the risk of potential liabilities resulting from the court action
by a stockholder of the Belgian concern International Brachytherapy (IBt)
for the submission of a takeover bid. As a result, the Group's annual
profits remain positive and in line with projections of 3.5 mm EUR or 1.12
EUR per share, but now all extraordinary profits resulting from the
contribution of Eckert & Ziegler BEBIG GmbH into International
Brachytherapy (IBt) are more or less cancelled out by depreciations and
risk provisions. The exact figures will be released with the publication of
the annual financial statements on March 27, 2009.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Information and Explaination of the Issuer to this News:
The Board's decision was preceded by discussions with lawyers, accountants,
stockholders and other institutions involved in the case. They highlighted
that the claim has few legal precedents, and also, that there is no
possibility of appeal against the decision of the responsible court. To
cover the risk that the false appearances put forward by the claimant in
its court action work against Eckert & Ziegler, to ensure transparency, and
to make use of the extra income in 2008 resulting from the contribution of
former subsidiary Eckert & Ziegler BEBIG GmbH in the IBt concern, the Board
has decided to take the precaution of posting a corresponding provision.
The Board reiterates its statement that there are not, nor ever have been,
any attempts to come to an agreement with another principal stockholder on
a course of action with which to exert further influence on the Belgian
concern International Brachytherapy S.A. It asserts that with the
incorporation of Eckert & Ziegler BEBIG GmbH in the IBt concern in February
2008, Eckert & Ziegler AG already gained sufficient influence over the
Belgian concern, including the right to nominate half of the supervisory
board members and also the chairman of the supervisory board of IBt. In
addition, Eckert & Ziegler's obligation to maintain a price of 3.47 EUR per
share in a takeover bid visibly expired on 2/26/2009, so that Eckert &
Ziegler could have had no conceivable motive for an agreement within the
12-month price maintenance period.
Eckert & Ziegler AG, Karolin Riehle, Investor Relations
Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 30 / 94 10 84-138, Fax -112
E-Mail: karolin.riehle@ezag.de, www.ezag.de
18.03.2009 Financial News transmitted by DGAP
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Language: English
Issuer: ECKERT & ZIEGLER Strahlen- und Medizintechnik AG
Robert-Rössle-Str. 10
13125 Berlin
Deutschland
Phone: +49 (0)30 941 084-0
Fax: +49 (0)30 941 084-112
E-mail: karolin.riehle@ezag.de
Internet: www.ezag.de
ISIN: DE0005659700
WKN: 565970
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard), Stuttgart;
Freiverkehr in Berlin, München, Hamburg, Düsseldorf
End of News DGAP News-Service
---------------------------------------------------------------------------