/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR
DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED
STATES. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY
CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAWS./
TSX VENTURE: GBE
VANCOUVER, June 13, 2018 /CNW/ - Goldbelt Empires Limited
(TSX VENTURE:GBE) (the "Company" or "Goldbelt") is
pleased to announce it has entered into a share purchase and
arrangement agreement (the "Arrangement Agreement") with
1167732 B.C. Ltd. ("BC Co" and
together with the Company, the "Parties") pursuant to which the
Parties will effect a reorganization transaction by way of a
statutory plan of arrangement (the "Plan of Arrangement") under the
provisions of section 288 of the Business Corporations
Act (British Columbia) (the
"Arrangement").
The Arrangement
Under the terms of the Arrangement Agreement, the Company will
sell all of the issued and outstanding shares of its wholly-owned
subsidiary Goldbelt International Limited (the "GIL Shares"), and
as a result the Company's beneficial interest in its Mali assets (the "Mali Assets"), to BC Co. and
BC Co. will grant the Company a net smelter royalty, which shall be
capped at a multiple of 6.5 times the book value of the GIL Shares
as set forth in the interim financial statements of Goldbelt as at
and for the nine months ended March 31,
2018. In connection with the foregoing, it is anticipated
that all intercompany debt between Goldbelt and GIL will be
extinguished.
Goldbelt has called a general meeting to be held on June 26, 2018, at which the Goldbelt shareholders
will be asked to, among other things, approve a special resolution
authorizing and approving the disposition of the GIL shares (the
"Disposition"). Mare information regarding the Disposition can be
found in the Company's management information circular dated
May 28, 2018, a copy of which is
available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. The
Arrangement is subject to the approval by the Goldbelt shareholders
of the Disposition.
The Arrangement Agreement also provides that BC Co shall issue
an aggregate number of BC Co shares as is equal to the issued and
outstanding ordinary shares of Goldbelt immediately prior to the
effective date and such BC Co shares (the "BC Co Arrangement
Shares") will be exchanged for ordinary share purchase warrants of
Goldbelt ("Goldbelt Warrants") on the basis of one BC Co
Arrangement Share in exchange for one Goldbelt Warrant. Under the
terms of the Plan of Arrangement, each Goldbelt shareholder will be
entitled to receive one BC Co Arrangement Share for each Goldbelt
share held. It is intended that once the Arrangement is complete,
Goldbelt shareholders will own a number of BC Co shares equal to
the number of Goldbelt Shares they currently hold and, through BC
Co, a beneficial interest in the Mali Assets equal to their current
beneficial interest in the Mali Assets. Each Goldbelt shareholder
will also retain all of the Goldbelt shares they currently own.
The Interim Order in respect of the Arrangement was granted on
June 12, 2018, and the Parties will
apply for final approval of the Arrangement on June 28, 2018, at the courthouse at 800 Smithe
Street, Vancouver, BC at
approximately 9:45 a.m. (Vancouver time) (the "Application"). Any
Goldbelt shareholder may appear at the Application provided they
file with the Court and deliver to the Company's solicitors,
Borden Ladner Gervais, LLP (Attn:
Steve Warnett), by 4:00 p.m. (Vancouver time) on June
27, 2018, a Response to Petition setting out their address
for service and all evidence they intend to present to the Court.
The Arrangement, if approved by the Court, is expected to be
completed on or about June 28,
2018.
Strategic Rationale
The key benefits to holders of Goldbelt ordinary shares with
respect to the Arrangement are as follows:
- the Arrangement will result in Goldbelt shareholders owning
shares of two public companies, each with a distinct business;
- Goldbelt and BC Co. will each have a clear mandate to pursue
its own specific business and plan and achieve its own strategic
goals without being subject to the financial or other constraints
of the business of the other entity;
- operating two businesses through separate companies is
anticipated to improve the ability of both companies to obtain
financing and provides existing shareholders with optionality as to
investment strategy and risk profile;
- Goldbelt and BC Co will each be able to:
- attract, motivate and retain directors, officers and employees
with experience and expertise in their particular business
area;
- align management and employee incentives with the interests of
its shareholders;
- effect acquisitions by way of public share issuances; and
- each of Goldbelt and BC Co. will be a "reporting issuer" and
accordingly, the shareholders of each entity will continue to
benefit from public company oversight from the securities
commissions and the higher disclosure, governance and financial
statement requirements applicable to public companies.
Complete details of the terms of the Arrangement are set out in
the Arrangement Agreement, which will be filed by the Company and
will be available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com.
About Goldbelt Empires
Goldbelt Empires is a gold explorer focused on the West African
Goldbelt, and listed its shares on the TSX Venture Exchange in
October 2015. Its flagship property is the South Morila gold
concession in the Republic of Mali.
www.goldbeltempires.com
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this press release.
This news release contains forward-looking statements and
information ("forward-looking statements") within the
meaning of applicable securities laws and is based on the
expectations, estimates and projections of management of Goldbelt
as of the date of this news release, unless otherwise stated. The
use of any of the words "expect", "anticipate", "continue",
"estimate", "objective", "ongoing", "may", "will", "project",
"should", "believe", "plans", "intends" and similar expressions are
intended to identify forward-looking statements. More particularly
and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking
statements concerning: anticipated benefits of the Arrangement to
the holders of Goldbelt ordinary shares, the timing and anticipated
receipt of required regulatory, court and securityholder approvals
for the Arrangement and related matters; the ability of Goldbelt to
satisfy the other conditions to, and to complete, the Arrangement;
the holding of the Goldbelt general meeting of shareholders and the
extinguishment of intercompany debts. Such forward-looking
statements are provided for the purpose of providing information
about management's current expectations and plans relating to the
future. Investors are cautioned that reliance on such information
may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making
investment decisions.
In respect of the forward-looking statements concerning the
anticipated benefits and completion of the proposed Arrangement and
the anticipated timing for completion of the Arrangement, Goldbelt
has provided such in reliance on certain assumptions that it
believes are reasonable at this time, including assumptions as to
the ability of Goldbelt to receive, in a timely manner, the
necessary regulatory, court, securityholder, stock exchange and
other third party approvals, and the ability of each of the parties
to the Arrangement Agreement to satisfy, in a timely manner, the
other conditions to the closing of the Arrangement.
The anticipated dates provided may change for a number of
reasons, including inability to secure necessary securityholder,
regulatory, court or other third party approvals in the time
assumed or the need for additional time to satisfy the other
conditions to the completion of the Arrangement. Accordingly,
readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking
statements contained in this news release.
Since forward-looking statements addresses future events and
conditions, such information by its very nature involves inherent
risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially
from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and
risks. These include, but are not limited to risks such as failure
to obtain required approvals; increased costs and expenses;
interest rate and exchange rate fluctuations; competition; failure
to realize the anticipated benefits of the Arrangement; and changes
in legislation, including but not limited to tax laws. Risks and
uncertainties inherent in the nature of the Arrangement include the
failure to obtain necessary securityholder, regulatory, court and
other third party approvals, or to otherwise satisfy the conditions
to the Arrangement, in a timely manner, or at all. Failure to so
obtain such approvals, or the failure to otherwise satisfy the
conditions to the Arrangement, may result in the Arrangement not
being completed on the proposed terms, or at all.
Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not
exhaustive. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on
these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements
contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and
Goldbelt undertakes no obligations to update publicly or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable
securities laws.
NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES
PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX
VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR
ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
SOURCE Goldbelt Empires Limited