"There is no unpacking of proxies. In every society there are people with different tasks and roles”. With these words the chairman and managing director of Finmeccanica, Giuseppe Orsi, filed during the shareholders' meeting the rumors about a possible transfer of the proxies in his possession to the general manager and financial director, Alessandro Pansa. In the mid-afternoon, Finmeccanica's share on the Stock Exchange gained more than 5 points, clearly leading the Ftse Mib.
As for the future strategy of Finmecanica, already illustrated in the speech at the Milan convention with the managers of the group, Orsi reiterated that the sale of some civil assets responds to a rationalization plan of the holding company's assets as well as debt reduction. “It's neither a fire sale nor a desire to change the industrial perimeter – explained the CEO -, but only a different vision of ownership”. In short, the announced divestitures “are strategic. The group is too large, today we do not have sufficient resources to make all sectors excellent. We are not taken by the neck and we must not make the transfers under any conditions. We took a year off, we told the investors”.
During the assembly, the go-ahead for Finmeccanica's 2011 financial statements, which shows a net loss of 2,306 billion euros, against the profit of 557 million recorded in 2010. Orders (-22%, to 17,43 billion) and revenues (-7%, to 17,31 .XNUMX billion).
Meanwhile, today it was published on the website of the group un response document to the "supplementary information requested by Consob". With reference to the "lease agreement for the buildings to be used for AgustaWestland customer support", it is specified that the agreement was signed with "Avioport SpA, whose shareholders are 70% Malpensa Real Estate BV and 30% % Finair srl”. Finmeccanica states that "from the checks carried out by AgustaWestland", among the shareholders of Finair srl and Polo Ticino Uno Spa (which in turn controls 70% of Finair srl), there are no "physical and/or legal persons who could be related parties of the Finmeccanica group”. Furthermore, "none of these subjects can be traced back to the honorable Marco Reguzzoni".
In the same document Finmeccanica lists to Consob transactions with "Guido Palph Haschke and/or companies related to him". The case refers to the investigation by the prosecutors of Naples - who are also investigating the CEO of Finmeccanica, Giuseppe Orsi - in reference to alleged bribes linked to the one and a half billion euro order from Agusta with the Indian government for the sale of 12 helicopters. Haschke is suspected of being the broker who would have facilitated the deal. The investigations also concern the relationship between Finmeccanica and some Swiss consultancy companies attributable to Haschke.
The defense group, however, says it does not recognize "neither potential risks nor any economic-equity and financial effects" deriving "from the ongoing investigations relating to the tenders in India and to the activity of Mr. Haschke".
Finally, the document also shows that the member of the Finmeccanica board of directors, Franco Bonferroni, is being investigated by the Rome prosecutor for illegal party financing. The text specifies that Bonferroni also said that he was heard by the investigating magistrate on April 21 and that in that appointment he "declared his absolute non-involvement in the facts alleged against him". The group adds that "any assessment by the company regarding any initiatives in this regard is postponed, also in the light of the information currently available, to the outcome of the investigations in progress".
