RNS Number:4743P
London Forfaiting Company PLC
05 September 2003

To:         The Directors
            London Forfaiting Company Plc
            International House
            1 St. Katherine's Way
            London E1W 1XA

                                                                5 September 2003

Dear Sirs

1        Notification concerning interests in shares

1.1      This notification is sent by FIMBank (UK) Limited, on behalf of itself 
         and the persons set out in paragraphs 1.2.1 to 1.2.5 below, for the 
         purposes stated in paragraph 1.2 below.

1.2      The persons set out below (the "Interested Persons") hereby give notice 
         to London Forfaiting Company Plc ("LFC") pursuant to, and for the 
         express purpose of discharging the disclosure obligations stipulated 
         by, the provisions of sections 198 to 202 of the Companies Act 1985 
         (the "Act"), of the matters referred to in paragraph 3 below arising 
         out of the transaction referred to in paragraph 2.2 below.

1.2.1    FIMBank (UK) Limited ("FIMBank UK");



1.2.2    First International Merchant Bank p.l.c ("FIMBank plc");



1.2.3    Global Financial Holdings NV ("GFH");



1.2.4    Kuwaiti Interests for Financial Investments ("KIFI"); and



1.2.5    Kuwaiti Interests for Development Holding KSC ("KIDH").



1.3      The registered addresses of each of the Interested Persons are as 
follows:



1.3.1    FIMBank (UK) Limited 134 Wigmore Street, London W1U 3SE



1.3.2    First International Merchant Bank plc

7th Floor,

The Plaza Commercial Centre,

Bisazza Street,

Sliema, SLM15

Malta



1.3.3    Global Financial Holdings NV

Caracasbaaiweg 199,

Curacao,

Netherlands,

Antilles



1.3.4    Kuwaiti Interests for Financial Investments

Chamber of Commerce Building,

3rd Floor,

P.O. Box 719 Al Safat,

Zip Code 13008

Kuwait



1.3.5    Kuwaiti Interests for Development Holding KSC

The Kuwait Chamber of Commerce Building

3rd Floor

Al-Shuahada Street

Sharq Commercial Area

9 Kuwait



2        The Transaction



2.1                                       For your information, FIMBank UK is a
wholly owned subsidiary of FIMBank plc.  GFH owns a 33.91 per cent. shareholding
in FIMBank plc, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of KIFI.  KIFI is a family
investment company and is owned as to 99.4 per cent by KIDH.



2.2                                       On 22 July 2003, WestLB Panmure
Limited ("WestLB") made an offer (the "Offer") on behalf of FIMBank UK to
acquire the entire issued and to be issued share capital of LFC.  The Offer was
declared unconditional in all respects on 28 August 2003.



3                                            Levels of shareholdings



3.1                                       By virtue of (i) acceptances of the
Offer and (ii) purchases by FIMBank UK of ordinary shares of 40 pence each
comprised in the relevant share capital of LFC ("LFC Shares"), as at 4 September
2003 each of the Interested Persons are interested in 80,761,982 LFC Shares,
representing 77.1 per cent. of the issued LFC Shares.  None of the LFC Shares in
which any of the Interested Persons is interested is by virtue of section 208(5)
of the Act.



3.2      As at 4 September 2003, these LFC shares were registered as follows:-



3.2.1                                 the 73,413,034 LFC Shares assented to the
Offer remain registered in the names of the shareholders who have accepted the
Offer;



3.2.2                                 2,225,000 of the LFC Shares purchased by
FIMBank UK were registered in its name; and



3.2.3                                 5,123,948 LFC Shares purchased by FIMBank
UK will, pending settlement, be registered in its name.



Yours faithfully



FIMBank (UK) Limited



First International Merchant Bank plc



Global Financial Holdings NV



Kuwaiti Interests for Financial Investments



Kuwaiti Interests for Development Holdings KSC




                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END

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