Minister Cleared of Insider Trading Charges
After examining the information and circumstances of the mid-2012 purchase of Telekom shares by Vizjak and Matej Runjak, the stock market watchdog found that the two bought the shares after the price-sensitive information (amount of dividends) had already been made public.
Similarly, the government's intention to sell the state stake in Telekom does not constitute insider information, as the issue was not formally debated by the cabinet since April, the ATVP said on Monday as it halted proceedings against the two.
The news comes after the daily Dnevnik reported in early December that the share purchase by Vizjak and Runjak coincided with the beginning of government activities to sell the telco and a steep rise of Telekom stock price.
Runjak, who is in charge of the Public Property and Financial System Directorate, bought EUR 20,600-worth of shares on 11 June, according to the daily.
A week later, a EUR 17,250 purchase was made by Vizjak, who made another purchase on 18 September, buying EUR 26,500 worth of shares.
But contrary to the ATVP, Dnevnik claims that at the end of July, the government - at a closed-doors session - decided to start procedures to sell energy company Petrol, insurer Zavarovalnica Triglav and Telekom.
Telekom added 58% on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange since 1 July 2012.