(Updates with ABN Amro comment)
AMSTERDAM (Thomson Financial) - Dutch independent shareholders association VEB has filed criminal complaints with the Prosecution Office against ABN Amro Holding NV, alleging the Dutch bank has violated market abuse laws.
The association has also asked the Prosecution Office to investigate whether the consortium consisting of Royal Bank of Scotland, Fortis NV and Banco Santander Central Hispano has breached market abuse laws.
If the Prosecution Office establishes there are grounds for a criminal complaint, the VEB said it may also lodge criminal complaints against the consortium.
The VEB is accusing ABN Amro of leaking market-sensitive information to the media about the continuing takeover battle between it, Barclays and the consortium.
The VEB said it has evidence ABN Amro knowingly leaked sensitive information about the consortium's indicative takeover bid on ABN Amro to the media.
In its official complaint to the Prosecution Office, the shareholders association put copied paragraphs from recent newspaper stories on the takeover battle surrounding ABN Amro, in which journalists referred to correspondence between ABN Amro and the consortium that was until then not available to the public.
The VEB claims the correspondence was leaked by ABN Amro.
An ABN Amro spokesman said in a reaction that the bank has received and noted the complaint by the VEB.
'We are aware of our legal responsibilities with regards to share-price sensitive information and we comply with them,' the spokesman said.
'More in general, we are in constant dialogue with (market regulator) AFM regarding the disclosure of information, and we have issued an unprecedented number of press releases, related to the future of the bank, in the past weeks,' the spokesman added.
The VEB association earlier successfully filed a suit with the Enterprise Chamber, which ruled ABN Amro's sale of LaSalle to Bank of America must be suspended until ABN Amro's shareholders have been consulted on the matter.
Under Dutch market abuse laws, any market-sensitive information must be made available to all parties concerned -- media, market specialists and shareholders -- without delay.
Dutch market regulator AFM would not comment on the matter.
A spokeswoman for consortium member Fortis said the group has 'no comment' on the news. By Kaj Leers, kaj.leers@thomson.com kel/ejp/kel/jr/fr/ms1/kel/gp COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2007. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News.