BCSC reaches settlement with two B.C. men for tipping and insider trading

VANCOUVER, Dec. 10, 2019 /CNW/ - The British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) has reached settlement agreements with two B.C. men, one of whom admitted to tipping and the other to insider trading.

George Boustani was an employee of a B.C. company whose shares trade on the TSX. He admitted to five instances of tipping between November 2015 to February 2017, when he provided his friend Saad (also known as Sid) Hayek with information about the company's financial results before it was made public.

Hayek used that information when he bought and sold shares of the company, and then paid Boustani some of his trading profits. By doing so, Hayek admitted that he contravened securities laws regarding insider trading.

As part of the settlement, Hayek has agreed to pay $364,174, and Boustani has agreed to pay $70,000, to the BCSC. Both men are also prohibited for two years from trading or purchasing any securities or exchange contracts of any issuer with whom they are in a "special relationship," as defined by B.C.'s Securities Act. 

Neither men have a history of securities misconduct, and both admitted to their misconduct before the BCSC issued a Notice of Hearing.  

The BCSC thanks FINRA for its assistance in this matter.

About the British Columbia Securities Commission ( www.bcsc.bc.ca )  

The British Columbia Securities Commission is the independent provincial government agency responsible for regulating capital markets in British Columbia through the administration of the Securities Act. Our mission is to protect and promote the public interest by fostering:

• A securities market that is fair and warrants public confidence
• A dynamic and competitive securities industry that provides investment opportunities and access to capital

Learn how to protect yourself and become a more informed investor at www.investright.org

SOURCE British Columbia Securities Commission