UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 13D

Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No. 21)

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

Landesbank 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 21, 2008

(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 that is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this schedule because of §§240.13d-l(e), 240.13d-l(f) or 240.13d-l(g), check the following box. o

 



 

 

CUSIP No. 889050 10 0

1.

Names of Reporting Persons.

 

 

I.R.S. Identification Nos. of above persons (entities only).

 

Landesbank Berlin AG

 

 

IRS No.

 

2.

Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (See Instructions)

 

 

(a)

o

 

(b)

o

 

3.

SEC Use Only  

 

4.

Source of Funds (See Instructions)

 

5.             Check Box if Disclosure of Legal Proceedings Is Required Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e) o

 

6.

Citizenship or Place of Organization

 

Federal Republic of Germany

 

 

Number of

7.

Sole Voting Power: 2,396,309

Shares Bene-

ficially

8.

Shared Voting Power:

Owned by Each

Reporting

9.

Sole Dispositive Power: 2,396,309

Person with:

10.

Shared Dispositive Power:

 

11.

Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person

2,396,309

 

12.           Check Box if the Aggregate Amount in Row (11) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions)

o

 

13.

Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (11)

12.5%

 

 

14.

Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions)

BK

 

 

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This Amendment No. 21 amends and supplements items 2, 4 and 5 of the Statement on Schedule 13D of Landesbank Berlin AG (“LB”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Landesbank Berlin Holding AG (the "Parent"), which is in turn controlled by Erwerbsgesellschaft der S-Finanzgruppe mbH & Co. KG, a German limited partnership (the “Partnership”), 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"). Statements that are not modified in this amendment are not amended and remain as previously reported.

Item 2. Identity and Background

The general partner of the Partnership is Regionalverbandsgesellschaft mbH, a German limited liability company (“RVG”) owned by several German regional savings bank associations. The amendment to Annex C attached hereto sets forth the name, address and principal occupation of each of the Executive Directors of RVG. Based on the information about such Executive Directors that is available to the Parent and LB pursuant to German law, neither the Parent nor LB is aware of any information to the effect that any such person has during the last five years been a party to any criminal or civil proceeding. All of the individuals listed on Annex C are citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany.

 

The amendment to Annex B attached hereto sets forth the name, address and principal occupation of each director and executive officer of LB. Based on the information about the persons listed on Annex B that is available to the Parent and LB pursuant to German labor law (including a police certificate of no criminal record), neither the Parent nor LB is aware of any information to the effect that any such person has during the last five years been party to any such criminal or civil proceeding. All of the individuals listed on Annex B are citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany.

 

Item 4. Purpose of Transaction

As previously reported, the Fund's Board of Directors authorized the preparation and filing by the Fund of a registration statement (the “Registration Statement”), at LB's expense, to register LB's remaining shares of Common Stock for sale in a public offering pursuant to the registration provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”). The Registration Statement was declared effective on September 14, 2007, and since that date LB has, as it stated its intention to do in Amendment No. 20 to this Statement on Schedule 13D, periodically engaged in at-the-market sales of shares of Common Stock pursuant to the plan of distribution set forth in the Registration Statement. LB’s sales of Common Stock during the last 60 days are set forth in Item 5(c) below.

In addition to sales pursuant to the Registration Statement, LB reserves the right to make additional sales of its shares of Common Stock pursuant to rule 144 under the Securities Act, subject to the rule's filing requirements and limitations on the permitted volume of sales and the manner in which shares may be sold. Depending on market conditions, LB also reserves the right not to engage in sales of shares of Common Stock.

 

Item 5. Interest in Securities of the Issuer

 

(a) According to the Fund’s definitive proxy statement filed on February 19, 2008, there were 19,184,686 shares of Common Stock outstanding at February 8, 2008. The percentage set forth in this Item 5(a) is derived using such number. LB has sole power to vote and dispose of 2,396,309 shares of Common Stock, which constitute approximately 12.5% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock.

(c) During the last sixty days, LB has effected the following sales of shares of Common Stock in at-the-market transactions on the American Stock Exchange pursuant to the Registration Statement:

 

 

 

 

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Date

Number of Shares

Price

(net of commissions)

01/03/2008

26,200

17.3776

01/08/2008

27,732

16.7108

01/09/2008

500

16.3

01/14/2008

10,900

16.8022

01/15/2008

300

16.41

01/29/2008

10,400

15.9118

01/30/2008

15,800

15.7501

02/20/2008

10,000

16.1007

02/21/2008

24,200

16.0702

 

 

 

Signature

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of the undersigned’s knowledge and belief, the undersigned certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

Date: March 6, 2008

 

 

 

LANDESBANK BERLIN AG

 

By: /s/ Dirk Kipp

 

 

Name: Dirk Kipp

 

 

Title: Managing Director

 

By: /s/ Moritz Sell

 

 

Name: Moritz Sell

 

Title:

Director

 

 

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Annex B

 

Unless otherwise indicated, the business address for all individuals listed in this Annex B is Landesbank Berlin AG, Alexanderplatz 2, D-10178 Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany.

 

Landesbank Berlin AG

 

Members of the Managing Board

Name and Address

Principal Occupation

Hans-Jörg Vetter

Chairman of the Managing Board of
Landesbank Berlin AG

Serge Demolière

Member of the Managing Board of
Landesbank Berlin AG

Dr. Johannes Evers

Member of the Managing Board of
Landesbank Berlin AG

Hans Jürgen Kulartz

Member of the Managing Board of
Landesbank Berlin AG

Martin Klaus Müller

Member of the Managing Board of
Landesbank Berlin AG

Dr. Thomas Veit

Member of the Managing Board of
Landesbank Berlin AG

 

 

Executive Officers

Name and Address

Principal Occupation

Alt, Volker
Landesbank Berlin AG
Recht

Managing Director of Landesbank Berlin AG

Bauer, Andrea Daniela
Landesbank Berlin AG
Client Business - Distribution

Managing Director of Landesbank Berlin AG

Berentin, Ronald
Landesbank Berlin AG
Berliner Sparkasse
Kredit Firmenkunden und Privatkunden
Brunnenstraße 111
D-13355 Berlin

Managing Director of Landesbank Berlin AG

 

 

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Name and Address

Principal Occupation

 

Boenke, Frank-Michael
Landesbank Berlin AG
Compliance
Brunnenstraße 111
D-13355 Berlin

Managing Director of Landesbank Berlin AG

 

Brummel, Beate
Landesbank Berlin AG
Kreditbereich Kapitalmarkt
Strukturierte Finanzierungen/Projektfinanzierungen
Kredit Immobilien (komm.)

Managing Director of Landesbank Berlin AG

 

Burmester, Dr. Christian
Landesbank Berlin AG
London Branch
1 Crown Court
Cheapside
GB-London EC2V 6LR

General Manager of Landesbank Berlin AG
London Branch

 

Butzer, Arnold
Landesbank Berlin AG
Vertrieb Immobilienfinanzierung
Berlin und Neue Bundesländer
Corneliusstr, 7
D-10787 Berlin

Managing Director of Landesbank Berlin AG

 

Gottschalk, Gudrun
Landesbank Berlin AG
Datenschutz und Geldwäsche
Brunnenstr. 111
D-13355 Berlin

Managing Director of Landesbank Berlin AG

 

Hirschhaeuser, Dr. Karl-Friedrich
Landesbank Berlin AG
Risikocontrolling
Brunnenstraße 111
D-13355 Berlin

Managing Director of Landesbank Berlin AG

 

Jänichen, Michael
Landesbank Berlin AG
Berliner Sparkasse
Firmenkunden
Badensche Str. 23
D-10715 Berlin

Managing Director of Landesbank Berlin AG

 

Kipp, Dirk
Landesbank Berlin AG
Treasury & Trading

Managing Director of Landesbank Berlin AG

Klein, Gerald
Landesbank Berlin AG
Client Business - Production

Managing Director of Landesbank Berlin AG

 

 

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Name and Address

Principal Occupation

Lange, Axel
Landesbank Berlin AG
Kreditbereich IBAG/IBG
Hardenbergstr. 20
D-10623 Berlin

Managing Director of Landesbank Berlin AG

Pritzsche, Wolfgang
Landesbank Berlin AG
Finanzen
Brunnenstraße 111
D-13355 Berlin

Managing Director of Landesbank Berlin AG

Reutter, Dr. Georg
Landesbank Berlin AG
Vertrieb Immobilienfinanzierung
Alte Bundesländer, Ausland und Konsortial-/Sondergeschäft
Corneliusstr, 7
D-10787 Berlin

Managing Director of Landesbank Berlin AG

Richardt, Claus-Günther
Landesbank Berlin AG
Berliner Sparkasse
Vermögensanlagen
Badensche Str. 23
D-10715 Berlin

Managing Director of Landesbank Berlin AG

Scheer, Heinz-Günter
Landesbank Berlin AG
Unternehmensentwicklung

Managing Director of Landesbank Berlin AG

Schölper, Siegfried
Landesbank Berlin AG
Controlling

Managing Director of Landesbank Berlin AG

Schroeder, Bartho
Landesbank Berlin AG
Business Management

Managing Director of Landesbank Berlin AG

Thanheiser, Michael
Landesbank Berlin AG
Berliner Sparkasse
Privatkunden
Badensche Str. 23
D-10715 Berlin

Managing Director of Landesbank Berlin AG

 

 

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Annex C

Regionalverbandsgesellschaft mbH

Executive Directors

Unless otherwise indicated, the business address for all individuals listed in this Annex C is Regionalverbandsgesellschaft mbH, Charlottenstrasse 47, D-10117 Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany.

Name and Address

Principal Occupation

Manfred Üffing

Managing Director at Sparkassen- und Giroverband Hessen-Thüringen

Carsten Steffan

Department Head at Deutscher Sparkassen- und Giroverbandes e.V. (German savings bank association) (“DSGVeV”)

Dr. Michael Schieble

Department Head at DSGVeV

 

 

 

 

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