Quebec court lifts ban on publication of AMF investigation into Amaya

According to The Globe and Mail newspaper, the Quebec court has lifted a publication ban on an updated search warrant by the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), a Canadian-government mandated financial regulator, into Amaya Inc.

The investigation, reportedly triggered by a whistle-blower, delves into alleged widespread trading of Amaya Inc. stock ahead of its acquisition of PokerStars, but which has to date not resulted in any formal charges.

According to the warrant, the AMF seized a number of e-mail and phone records along with computers from executive Amaya Inc. employees – including chief executive officer David Baazov, chief financial officer Daniel Sebag and another unnamed manager.

The Mail and Guardian also identified the seizure of records from employees from Canaccord Genuity Group, Amaya’s advisor concerning the takeover, and from yet another 15 unassociated brokers in the Montreal branch of Manulife Securities.

The search warrant lists chief executive officer of Canaccord’s wealth management unit, Stuart Rufus, along with broker Peter Kirby and around 40 of his mostly Canaccord clients who remain unidentified.

Amaya, Canaccord and Manulife continue to deny any wrong doing and are reportedly cooperating in full with the AMF.