US brewing giant Anheuser-Busch filed suit to block a hostile takeover by InBev, claiming the Belgian-based rival used "illegal" and "deceptive" conduct, court documents showed Tuesday.
The move by the top US brewer came after InBev raised the ante on its hostile bid by launching an effort with shareholders to dismiss the current board of Anheuser-Busch.
The suit dated Monday and filed in US District Court in St. Louis, Missouri, alleges "an illegal plan and scheme by InBev, through a course of deceptive conduct, to acquire control of Anheuser-Busch at a bargain price that does not adequately compensate shareholders for their investment in the company."
The US brewer asked the court to block the Belgian-Brazilian giant for taking any further actions in its 46-billion-dollar hostile bid "until such time as it has cured each and all of its false and misleading statements."
