Monday, April 5, 2010

Mining news from Colombia, the new politically riskless zone according to Thom Calandra and other mining analyst idiots


Ok, folks, let's play Spot The Difference: Can you see any slight discrepancy between this press release from Medoro Resources on March 31st:

TORONTO, March 31 /CNW/ - Medoro Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: MRS) is pleased to announce that it has signed an asset purchase agreement (the "Agreement") with Frontino Gold Mines Ltd. ("Frontino") represented by its duly appointed and legally confirmed liquidator and legal representative, Mr. Luis Fernando Alvarado, to acquire all of the assets of Frontino, located near the city of Segovia, approximately 220 kms north of Medellin in Antioquia, Colombia. The Agreement has been authorized and approved by the advisory board of Frontino, which includes the Liquidator. CONTINUES HERE


And this press release from those calling themselves the true owners of Frontino:

SEGOVIA, COLOMBIA--(Marketwire - April 5, 2010) - This press release is in answer to the public statement of the Canadian company Medoro Resources, dated 31-March-2010, in which Medoro claims to have signed a purchase agreement for the assets of Frontino Gold Mines (Colombia).

"On behalf of the worker's union, the creditors, and the people of Segovia, who are the legal owners of Frontino Gold Mines - we do not know of any such agreement, nor will we recognize any such agreements," said Dairo Alberto Rua, Presidente, Sintramienergetica of Segovia.

"I believe the same statement by Medoro also suggests that Medoro has other plans for workers currently employed by Frontino Gold Mines. On behalf of the entire population and the worker's union, will firmly and decisively oppose any such plans by Medoro," said Alfredo de Jesus Tobon Alvanes, Presidente, ASOACREF.

"We know exactly the worth of Frontino Gold Mines, and will not allow Medoro and persons to take our assets at a price that is a tiny fraction of its true value," Dairo Rua continued.

"On behalf of the owners of Frontino Gold Mines, we want the world to know that we will never accept any such agreements with Medoro, whose behavior has caused great upset, concern and unrest in the area. We believe that Mr. Luis Fernando Alvarado Ortiz and Medoro Resources are trying to create chaos and fear in the mining district of Segovia," said Alfredo de Jesus Tobon Alvanes.

"Only a general assembly of the current creditors (shareholders) can make any decisions in regards to the assets of Frontino Gold Mines. It is very clear that Mr. Luis Fernando Alvarado Ortiz is neither a creditor nor an owner of Frontino Gold Mines and therefore has no right to make decisions," said Alfredo de Jesus Tobon Alvanes. "Our ownership rights are fully documented by a number of legal deeds."

"A criminal complaint against Mr. Serafino Iacono has been filed with the Prosecutor General of Colombia for alleged false and malicious statements made against the workers and owners of the assets of Frontino Gold Mines," said Mr. Rua.

"A coalition consisting of the workers, owners, and creditors of Frontino Gold Mines, along with the Segovia City Council and the people of the region, strongly and unanimously reject the attempts by Medoro Resources to take what is rightfully and legally ours, and demand that our voices be heard and that the law be respected," said Mr. Rua.

For more information, please contact

"SINTRAMIENERGETICA" Sectional, Segovia
Dairo Alberto Rua
President
Cell: 313 645 4601 / 311 333 9560
dairorua@hotmail.com

But of course, Colombia is this wonderful new, shiny heaven for Canadian junior miners, isn't it? You see, this is the kind of crap company that the fraudster Thom Cassandra* pumps to his greenhorn flock, as according to that illegal trader anything that Frank Giustra touches turns immediately to gold. I vomit.


UPDATE: Answering a reader's mail. Yes, when I used the words "fraudster" and "illegal trader" to describe Calandra I wasn't joking. Here's the SEC litigation release:

U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Litigation Release No. 19028 / January 10, 2005

Securities and Exchange Commission v. Thom Calandra, Case No. C05 00135 JCS (N.D. Cal. filed January 10, 2005)

SEC BRINGS FRAUD CHARGES AGAINST FORMER CBS MARKETWATCH COLUMNIST THOM CALANDRA FOR ILLEGAL TRADING SCHEME

The Securities and Exchange Commission today brought and settled civil fraud charges against Thom Calandra, a former columnist for the Internet website CBS MarketWatch.com. The Commission alleges that Calandra profited by secretly selling stocks shortly after his investment newsletter's positive recommendations of the stocks caused their prices to rise. In settling the matter, Calandra, who lives in Sausalito, California, will pay over $540,000 in disgorgement and penalties.

According to the Commission's complaint, filed in the Northern District of California, Calandra made over $400,000 in illegal profits through a practice known as "scalping"-buying shares of thinly-traded, small-cap companies, writing highly favorable newsletter profiles recommending the companies to his newsletter subscribers, and then selling the majority of his shares when the increased demand generated by his favorable columns drove up the stock price. From March to December 2003, Calandra followed this "Buy-Write-Sell" pattern for 23 different stocks that he covered in The Calandra Report, without disclosing his actions to his readers.

In addition, the Commission alleged that Calandra failed to tell his readers that he had received compensation from a stock promoter affiliated with two mining companies that Calandra profiled in The Calandra Report. The compensation took the form of heavily-discounted shares in the two companies-shares which Calandra later sold at a substantial profit after the stock prices rose following his favorable newsletter write-ups.

Calandra, without admitting or denying the allegations in the Commission's complaint, has agreed to a permanent injunction from further violations of the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws (Sections 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder), and from further violations of Section 17(b) of the Securities Act of 1933, which prohibits the non-disclosure of compensation received for providing publicity about a security. Calandra also will disgorge $416,109.58 in illegal trading profits and prejudgment interest and will pay a civil penalty of $125,000.



But hey, this is 2010 so feel free to trust the dude now that he's doing something completely different with his time these days by..... errr........
writing highly favorable newsletter profiles on thinly-traded, small-cap companies and recommending the companies to his newsletter subscribers.


*According to the Greek myths, after being cursed by Apollo nobody ever believed Cassandra's predictions again. source.