Amstrad Plc will end up with at least 51% and control of portable telephone company Betacom Plc and may end up with as much as 72% without having to make a bid following the London company’s decision to try to raise UKP8.4m in a rights issue. Amstrad currently owns the maximum 29.5% permitted before it is required to bid for the company; it will be subscribing for UKP4.3m in new shares, at the 18 pence a share price set for the rights issue, and is underwriting the offer to the outside shareholders, which means that it could end up with as much as 72% if no-one takes up the three-for-four rights offer. The company is still trading at a loss, but Amstrad clearly sees it as an outlet for the video telephone it is planning to launch later this year.
