-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, QYxvw9v3Zm9l7NTC1nDhfGxvKzIXAQTJEdwsvyZSRuvrQZk+Ebm+z71kO/kGzK3j 42V2RzG8yPxkg/14JiDRNw== 0000950136-04-000672.txt : 20040308 0000950136-04-000672.hdr.sgml : 20040308 20040308164306 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000950136-04-000672 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: SC 13D/A PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 1 FILED AS OF DATE: 20040308 FILED BY: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: BANKGESELLSCHAFT BERLIN AG CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001038872 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: SC 13D/A BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: ALEXANDERPLATZ 2 CITY: 10178 BERLIN GERMANY MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: ALEXANDERPLATZ 2 CITY: 10178 BERLIN GERMANY SUBJECT COMPANY: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: ABERDEEN AUSTRALIA EQUITY FUND INC CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000779336 IRS NUMBER: 133304681 STATE OF INCORPORATION: MD FISCAL YEAR END: 1031 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: SC 13D/A SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 005-55117 FILM NUMBER: 04655145 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 100 MUDBERRY STREET CITY: NEW YORK STATE: NJ ZIP: 07102-4077 BUSINESS PHONE: 2122141250 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 100 MUDBERRY STREET CITY: NEWARK STATE: NJ ZIP: 07102-4077 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: FIRST AUSTRALIA FUND INC DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19920703 SC 13D/A 1 file001.txt AMENDMENT TO SCHEDULE 13D Securities and Exchange Commission Washington, D.C. 20549 SCHEDULE 13D Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. 7) INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN STATEMENTS FILED PURSUANT TO RULE 13d-1(a) AND AMENDMENTS THERETO FILED PURSUANT TO RULE 13d-2(a) Aberdeen Australia Equity Fund, Inc. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Name of Issuer) Common Stock, par value $.01 per share - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Title of Class of Securities) 318652104 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (CUSIP Number) Moritz Sell Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Alexanderplatz 2 D-10178 Berlin Germany +44.20.7572.6200 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications) February 26, 2004 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement) If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report the acquisition which is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this schedule because of Rule 13d-1(b)(3) or (4), check the following box. [ ] 1 of 10 Pages - ------------------------ ---------------------- CUSIP No.: 465395101 13D Page 2 of 10 Pages - ------------------------ ---------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON S.S. OR I.R.S. ID NO. OF ABOVE PERSON Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (a) [ ] (b) [ ] - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 SEC USE ONLY - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 SOURCE OF FUNDS WC - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO ITEM 2(d) OR 2(e) [ ] - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION Federal Republic of Germany - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOLE VOTING POWER 5,374,949 NUMBER OF SHARES -------------------------------------------------------- BENEFICIALLY SHARED VOTING POWER OWNED BY EACH -------------------------------------------------------- REPORTING SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER 5,374,949 PERSON WITH -------------------------------------------------------- SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON 5,374,949 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES [ ] - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11) 32.0% - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON BK - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 2 of 10 Pages This Amendment No. 7 (this "Amendment") amends and supplements Item 2, Item 4 and Annex A of the Statement on Schedule 13D of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG (the "Bank") with respect to the shares of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Common Stock"), of the Aberdeen Australia Equity Fund Inc. (the "Fund"). Items not included in this amendment are not amended and remain as previously reported. Annex A sets forth, as of the date of this Amendment, the name, address and principal occupation of each director and executive officer of the Bank and the name, address, jurisdiction of incorporation and principal business of each shareholder of the Bank who may be deemed to be in control of the Bank. All of the individuals listed on Annex A are citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany. ITEM 2. IDENTITY AND BACKGROUND The last sentence of Item 2(a)-(c) of the Bank's Statement on Schedule 13D is hereby replaced with the statement set forth immediately below. Based on the information about the persons listed on Annex A that is available to the Bank pursuant to German labor law (including a police certificate of no criminal record), the Bank is unaware of any information that would render incorrect the statements in (d) and (e) of Item 2 of the Bank's Statement on Schedule 13D with respect to the persons listed in Annex A. ITEM 4. PURPOSE OF TRANSACTION In Amendment No. 6 to the Bank's Statement on Schedule 13D, the Bank disclosed its intention to nominate three nominees of the Bank to the Board of Directors (the "Board") of the Fund at the election scheduled to occur at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Fund in 2004 (the "2004 Meeting") and to put forth certain other proposals, including to terminate the Fund's investment management and investment advisory agreements. The Bank has taken note of the statements made by the Fund in its 2004 Preliminary Proxy Statement (the "Preliminary Proxy") filed on February 26, 2004 with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Specifically, in the Preliminary Proxy the Fund states that it will seek a stockholder vote on precatory resolutions (the "Resolutions") to amend its bylaws to establish substantially less restrictive director qualifications than those currently contained in the bylaws and to provide that directors will be elected by a plurality of the votes cast, as well as to provide that such provisions may not be amended in the future without stockholder approval. The Preliminary Proxy further states that, provided that a plurality of the Fund's stockholders voting on these proposals vote in favor of them, the Board intends to amend the bylaws in a manner consistent with such stockholder resolutions and intends promptly thereafter to increase the size of the Board and to appoint one representative of the Bank to the Board for a three-year term as a Class I Director, subject to certain conditions. Separately, on February 18, 2004 the Fund announced its plans to implement a guaranteed distribution policy. Page 3 of 10 Pages In view of these statements by the Fund in its Preliminary Proxy and its announcement of its revised distribution policy, and provided that the Fund's proposals are not altered in its definitive proxy statement for the 2004 Meeting and the Fund adheres to its revised distribution policy, the Bank currently anticipates that it will vote the Fund's shares it owns in favor of the Resolutions and that it will not move at the 2004 Meeting to (1) terminate the investment management agreement between the Fund and Aberdeen Asset Managers (C.I.); (2) terminate the advisory agreement between the Fund and Aberdeen Asset Management Limited; and (3) nominate three nominees of the Bank to the Fund's Board, and that the Bank will not solicit proxies from other stockholders in support of such motions. The Bank may also contact other Fund stockholders to advocate support of the Resolutions and reserves the right to solicit proxies in favor of the Resolutions. Except as set forth herein and in the Schedule 13D and amendments thereto previously filed by the Bank, the Bank has not formulated any plans or proposals that relate to or would result in any of the transactions described in paragraphs (a) through (j) of Item 4. Page 4 of 10 Pages SIGNATURE After reasonable inquiry and to the best of our knowledge and belief, we certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct. Date: March 5, 2004 BANKGESELLSCHAFT BERLIN AG By: /s/ Dirk Kipp ----------------------------- Name: Dirk Kipp Title: Managing Director By: /s/ Moritz Sell ----------------------------- Name: Moritz Sell Title: Director Page 5 of 10 Pages ANNEX A ------- Unless otherwise indicated, the business address for all individuals listed on this Annex A is Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG, Alexanderplatz 2, D-10178 Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany. MEMBERS OF THE MANAGING BOARD NAME AND ADDRESS PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION Hans-Joerg Vetter Chairman of the Managing Board of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Serge Demoliere Member of the Managing Board of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Uwe Kruschinski Member of the Managing Board of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Norbert Pawlowski Member of the Managing Board of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Dr. Thomas Veit Member of the Managing Board of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG EXECUTIVE OFFICERS NAME AND ADDRESS PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION Willi Boehmer Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG Finanzen Brunnenstrasse 111 D-13355 Berlin Frank-Michael Boenke General Manager of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG London Branch London Branch 1 Crown Court Cheapside GB-London EC2V 6LR Beate Brummel Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG Kreditbereich Kapitalmarktgeschaft Page 6 of 10 Pages NAME AND ADDRESS PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION Dr. Christian Burmester Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG Kreditsekretariat Brunnenstrasse 111 D-13355 Berlin Arnold Butzer Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG Vertrieb Immobilienfinanzierung Corneliusstr, 7 D-10787 Berlin Dariush Ghassemi-Moghadam Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG Unternehmensentwicklung Peter Grosse Wiesmann Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG Risikobetreuung Immobilien BG Corneliusstr, 7 D-10787 Berlin Dr. Karl-Friedrich Hirschhaeuser Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG Risikocontrolling Dirk Kipp Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG Eigenhandel Peter Konig Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG Konzernprojekte Axel Lange Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG Kreditbereich IBAG/IBG Hardenbergstr. 20 D-10623 Berlin Page 7 of 10 Pages NAME AND ADDRESS PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION Martin Mueller Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG and General Manager Treasury of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG, Alexanderplatz 2 London Branch D-10178 Berlin and Debt Finance (temporarily) London Branch 1 Crown Court Cheapside GB-London EC2V 6LR Uwe Papesch Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG Equities Thomas Paulick Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG IT Brunnenstr. 111 D-13355 Berlin Helmut Ramthun Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG Compliance Brunnenstrasse 111 D-13355 Berlin Ludwig Reinhardt Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Zins-/Kreditprodukte Berlin AG Dr. Georg Reutter Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG Kredit Immobilien BG Corneliusstr, 7 D-10787 Berlin Gerhard Roller Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG Internationales Geschaft Alexanderplatz 2 D-10178 Berlin Page 8 of 10 Pages NAME AND ADDRESS PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION Jochen W. Sawahn Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG Personal Siegfried Schoelper Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG Controlling Brunnenstrasse 111 D-13355 Berlin Bartho Schroeder Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG Business Management Dr. Uwe-Jens Siegert Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG Revision Hardenbergstrasse 32 D-10623 Berlin Klaus Spicker Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG Recht Stefan Traegler Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG Berlin AG Organisation u. Informationstechnologie Brunnenstrasse 111 13355 Berlin Page 9 of 10 Pages SHAREHOLDERS WHO MAY BE DEEMED TO CONTROL THE BANK The following shareholders of the Bank may be deemed to control the Bank: The City of Berlin Norddeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale NORD/LB, a bank formed under the laws of Germany, whose principal address is Georgplatz 1, D-30159, Hannover, Germany. Page 10 of 10 Pages -----END PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----