The sale of claims by the country's biggest bank to Alfi at the end of December was reported by the business newspaper Finance on Friday.

The financial fund has told Finance that the claims had been purchased together with an "English partner fund", while not disclosing how much it had paid. NLB has also declined to comment on the deal.

Alfi has confirmed that, together with Deutsche Bank, it is still interested in acquiring all claims to Tuš. "We make deals if they are well-structured and secured. The same applies in the case of claims to the Tuš group."

Last year, claims to Tuš were purchased by Alfi and the English fund AnaCap through the Slovenian company Elements. AnaCap purchased claims from the NKBM bank (7.7% of total claims to Tuš), while Alfi purchased claims from Addiko Bank and Bawag (almost 14% combined).

Abanka, the country's third largest bank, is yet to make a decision on around 21% of claims to Tuš which it currently holds. The bank has received bids from two interested buyers, which was followed by negotiations to raise the bids.

According to Finance, Abanka could make a decision in the first quarter of the year. Elements has meanwhile told the paper that it is still interested in buying additional claims to Tuš, but that it will follow further developments.