February 21 (SeeNews) - The receiver of Croatia's ailing concern Agrokor, Ante Ramljak, said on Wednesday he has handed in his irrevocable resignation to prime minister Andrej Plenkovic, confirming earlier media reports on the matter.
"I submit my irrevocable resignation as extraordinary commissioner (receiver) so that I would not personally become an obstacle for reaching a settlement," Ante Ramljak said in a statement issued by Agrokor.
Ramljak explained that the uncertainty created around his position as receiver is compromising the restructuring process at the indebted food-to-retail concern.
"Together with my associates and the employees of Agrokor I have stabilised the business activities, we have preserved jobs, prevented the suppliers from ruin and created the preconditions so that the creditors can and should negotiate the finalisation of the settlement," Ramljak noted.
"Unfortunately, the uncertainty that was created regarding my position as extraordinary commissioner works strongly against this process."
Ramljak, Plenkovic and his closest aides held a meeting that ran late into the night on Tuesday, after it was earlier revealed that the receiver had hired his former employer, Texo Management consultancy, to advise on the process of Agrokor restructuring, news broadcaster HRT reported.
It was later also revealed that at the time Agrokor and Texo Management signed the consultancy services contract, Ramljak was still formally employed by Texo.
Ramljak is believed to have handed in his resignation to the prime minister during the meeting, due to the pressure he has faced since it came to light that Agrokor was paying Texo Management 250,000 ($41,700/33,600 euro) kuna a week for its services.
The government is expected to hold an extraordinary news conference on Wednesday to reveal whether Ramljak's resignation has been accepted and what this means for the restructuring process in Agrokor.
Last week, Ramljak told the economic committee in parliament that he is ready to face the consequences if lawmakers and the government decide that he has behaved outside the powers entrusted to him under the procedure for emergency administration at Agrokor.