Australia's Vocus receives second $1.7 billion approach, from Asia's Affinity

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian internet company Vocus Group Ltd said on Tuesday it received a A$2.2 billion ($1.7 billion) takeover approach from Asian private equity firm Affinity Equity Partners (S) Pte Ltd, matching a similar indicative offer from KKR & Co LP . Sydney-listed Vocus said it would allow both firms to conduct due diligence on a non-exclusive basis with a view to reaching a binding takeover offer. "The board of Vocus now considers that the interests of shareholders will be best served by a formal process to thoroughly evaluate whether a change of control offer, at a price and on terms that the board would recommend, can be secured," Vocus said in a statement. A spokesman for KKR was not immediately available for comment, while an Affinity spokesman declined to comment. Vocus shares were in a trading halt on Tuesday morning, having closed the previous day at A$3.45, just below KKR's A$3.50 indicative offer price. ($1 = 1.3151 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Byron Kaye, Tom Westbrook and Jamie Freed; Editing by Richard Pullin and Stephen Coates)