July 10, 2009 Decisions and Freeze and cease trade orders Securities

Montréal – On July 10, 2009, at the request of the Autorité des marchés financiers (“AMF”), the Bureau de décision et de révision en valeurs mobilières ("BDRVM") issued an order ex parte prohibiting Corporation Earl Jones and Bertram Earl Jones from conducting any activity, directly or indirectly, in respect of a transaction in securities.

The AMF was acting on the following allegations:

• Earl Jones is suspected of having embezzled between $30 and 50 million according to figures compiled so far;
• About fifty investors, mostly from Québec but also from the rest of Canada and the United States, are affected;
• The individual was not registered with the AMF;
• This large-scale operation has all the signs of a Ponzi chain;
• Investor protection is at stake.

The AMF intervened quickly in this matter and is pursuing its investigation in conjunction with the police, the Canadian Securities Administrators and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. If necessary, the AMF will be able to draw on other freeze orders to ensure investors are protected.

The Autorité des marchés financiers ("AMF") is the regulatory and oversight body for Québec’s financial sector.

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