SECTION 135-2 — Interference with the Financial Market

(1) Any natural person or corporate body who: - rigs the functioning of the market ; - gives undue advantage to persons who would not have had it under normal market conditions ; - violates the right to equal information and treatment of investors or their interests ; - allows issuers and investors to engage in practices contrary to their obligations ; - habitually provides investment services to third parties without authorization ; - carries out negotiations or transactions other than those provided for by the regulations in force on securities listed on the stock market without referring to an investment service provider, shall be punished with fine of from CFAF 500 000 (five hundred thousand) to CFAF 5 000 000 (five million). (2) Any natural person or corporate body who knowingly propagates false or deceptive information on the situation or prospects of an issuer whose securities are on the market such as to influence the prices, or interfere or attempt to interfere, in any manner, with the proper functioning of the market, shall be punished with imprisonment for from 6 (six) months to 2 (two) years or with fine of from CFAF 1 000 000 (one million) to CFAF 10 000 000 (ten million) or with both such imprisonment and fine. (3) The accessory penalties provided for in Sections 33, 34 and 35 of this Code may also be imposed by the competent court. (4) The competent court may, in addition, and if need be, impose a fine higher than the amounts provided for in Subsection 1 above and up to ten fold the profit made. The amount imposed shall not be lower than the said profit.