David Baazov, the ex-chief executive of Amaya, is currently facing a legal trial in Montreal, Canada, concerning insider trading.
The trial commenced on Monday and revolves around Amaya, presently known as The Stars Group, and its purchase of Rational Group, the parent organization of PokerStars and Full Tilt.
The Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), Quebec’s financial regulatory body, claims that Baazov and five other co-defendants engaged in trading Amaya shares using confidential information during the acquisition negotiations.
According to the AMF, the trading activities commenced in December 2013, when Baazov first met with the proprietors of Rational Group, and continued until the agreement was publicly announced in June 2014.
During this period, Amaya’s stock price experienced a 50% increase, enabling the defendants to benefit financially from their trading actions, as reported by the Montreal Gazette.
Baazov is facing five accusations, including “assisting in a transaction while possessing inside information,” influencing or attempting to manipulate the market value of Amaya securities, and distributing confidential information.
Its a peculiar coincidence that Baazov was initially accused in the early part of 2016, shortly after he resigned from his position as CEO of Amaya and completely departed from the company in August of that same year.
However, despite the commencement of the trial this week, the Montreal Gazette reports that the proceedings could be immediately halted due to motions submitted by Baazov and his co-defendants.
Legal representatives for the defense have expressed criticism regarding the AMF’s management of the case, labeling it a “premature judgment before a thorough investigation was conducted” and asserting that the disclosure of evidence has been “disorganized and sluggish.”
The legal proceedings are currently in progress.
Connected: Amaya Confirms Baazov’s Exit
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