Former CEO of MCX, Joseph Massey fined Rs 2 lakh for failing to make sales disclosure

Markets regulator Sebi Tuesday imposed a penalty of Rs 2 lakh on Joseph Massey, former CEO of Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), for failing to make the disclosure about the sale of shares in stipulated time.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) conducted an investigation in the scrip of MCX between April 2012 and July 2013 to ascertain a violation of PIT (Prohibition of Insider Trading) regulations by Massey.

The regulator found that Massey, who was a director at MCX, sold a total of 11,250 shares of the exchange on seven occasions -- April 24, 2012, May 4, 2012, June 1, 2012, November 6, 2012, November 7, 2012, February 25, 2013, and June 28, 2013.

However, delayed disclosures were made for the sale of shares done on May 5, 2012, and February 25, 2013, it added. "The notice (Massey) failed on two counts to make disclosures in stipulated time which warrant the imposition of monetary penalty," the regulator said.

Accordingly, the capital markets watchdog slapped a fine of Rs 2 lakh on Massey. In a separate case, the regulator has disposed of a show cause notice against Prashant Desai, who was the president of Investor Relations at erstwhile Financial Technologies (India) Ltd (FTIL).

It was alleged that Desai had sold shares of FTIL (now known as 63 Moons Technologies), and had failed to make necessary disclosures under PIT norms. Desai allegedly sold shares worth Rs 10,43,955 on May 14, 2010, which required disclosure under PIT Regulations.

"However, it is also observed that the notice (Desai) was acting as president – Investor Relations of FTIL from December 10, 2012, to March 13, 2014. This also is corroborative of the submission of the notices that he was not in the employment of FTIL at the time of sale of shares on May 14, 2010," Sebi noted. Accordingly, the regulator noted that Desai was not liable to make any disclosure for the transaction and accordingly disposed of the show cause notice.