News Release

Released: November 16, 1993  Contact: Ron Messent  660-4800

The British Columbia Securities Commission today released its decision regarding Edward Clive Ashworth, James Arthur Barnes and Donald Lynn Whorley.

Ashworth, Whorley and Barnes were named with Joseph Ernest Hooi and Robert Mah Shing Voong as respondents in a notice of hearing issued on April 14, 1992, as a result of their alleged involvement in a scheme relating to a trade or acquisition of Canada Orient Resources Inc. securities when they knew or ought to have known that the scheme would perpetrate a fraud in connection with Canada Orient, a Vancouver Stock Exchange listed company.

Hooi and Voong entered into settlements with the Superintendent of Brokers regarding the allegations on the first day of the hearing. The Superintendent ordered that Hooi and Voong's trading privileges be withdrawn for 25 years and that they be prohibited from acting as directors and officers of any reporting issuer for a similar period of time.

Under the scheme Ashworth, Whorley and Barnes each sold mineral claims to Canada Orient, the consideration for which was disclosed as being a certain amount of cash and shares of Canada Orient. However, for each transaction there was an undisclosed collateral agreement, between each of these Respondents and Hooi and Voong, whereby the majority of shares received by the Respondents were delivered to Hooi and Voong.

The Commission concluded that "the evidence clearly establishes that Ashworth, Whorley and Barnes participated with Hooi and Voong in a scheme which perpetrated a fraud on Canada Orient in connection with its securities contrary to section 41.1 of the Securities Act".

The Commission ordered that Ashworth's trading privileges be withdrawn for 10 years and that he be prohibited from acting as a director and officer of any reporting issuer for a similar period of time. The Commission ordered that Whorley and Barnes' trading privileges be withdrawn for 5 years and that they be prohibited from acting as directors and officers of any reporting issuer for 5 years.

The British Columbia Securities Commission is a provincial government agency responsible for regulating trading in securities and exchange contracts.

Copies of the Commission's decision (17 pages) may be obtained in person at 1100 - 865 Hornby Street, Vancouver, British Columbia.