Colombia's Efromovich says will respond to Avianca-United deal lawsuit -report

German Efromovich, controlling shareholder of Avianca, said Wednesday he would "gladly" respond in court to a lawsuit by minority owners that alleged he forced the carrier into a deal that hurts them. Efromovich and United Continental Holdings are being sued by Kingsland Holdings, controlled by El Salvador's Kriete family, for "clandestinely" negotiating a US$800m loan and strategic alliance behind the backs of other shareholders. The lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court claims Efromovich negotiated the deal with United for his own benefit even when there were competing offers from other airlines. United said it could not comment on pending litigation. Avianca also declined to comment on the lawsuit. Synergy, which is owned by Efromovich, holds 78% of Avianca voting shares, while Kingsland holds 22%. <br/>