Jo Nash

US private equity firm Colony Capital has agreed to buy oil refining and distribution company Tamoil from the Libyan government for €4 billion. It is the biggest private equity deal to date for an African-owned company – trumping Bain Capital’s $3.5 billion buyout of Edgars in February.

Indigo Capital, an independent mezzanine manager, has raised €550 million for its fifth European mezzanine fund – exceeding its €500 million target – in a swift fundraising.

Moscow-based Alfa Capital Partners has closed its debut private equity fund on $200 million to invest in Russia and Ukraine.

Apax Partners and Permira, the private equity owners of UK fashion chain New Look, have reportedly pushed back the deadline of the auction to sell the business after failing to attract suitable offers.

Swedish private equity firm EQT has bought a majority stake in Danish industrial engineering group Cimbria from the company’s founders. The country has become an attractive destination for private equity capital.

Tragus, a UK restaurant chain backed by The Blackstone Group, has bounced back from the disappointment of losing out in the battle for La Tasca with the acquisition of UK restaurant chain Strada for £140 million. It is the latest buyout deal in the popular UK restaurant sector.

The founders of Index Ventures-backed internet site Last.fm have sold the business to US television network CBS for $280 million. The sale has reportedly generated a $56 million profit for Geneva-based Index Ventures.

Global buyout firm Advent International has opened an office in Prague to capitalise on lucrative deal opportunities in the region – just two weeks after PEO reported that the firm is planning to open a Ukraine office in September.

Lehman Brothers, the US bank, has recruited Jayanta Banerjee from ICICI Venture to become managing director of the bank’s Mumbai private equity activities.

GMT Communication Partners has bought a construction information business from Candover and Cinven-backed Springer Science & Business Media. The firm will merge this business with portfolio company Docu Group to create Europe’s biggest provider of business information.