|        Market Update        -- Centamin Gains Controlling Interest in Ampella Mining         | Centamin Gains Controlling Interest in Ampella Mining |  
 PERTH,        AUSTRALIA--(Marketwired - Feb 26, 2014) - Centamin plc ("Centamin" or        "the Company") (LSE: CEY) (TSX: CEE) -- Further to the announcements of        10 December 2013 and 13 January 2014, Centamin declared, on 20 February        2014, that its off-market takeover offer for Ampella was free from all        defeating conditions pursuant to a notice filed on the Australian Stock        Exchange ("ASX") and ASIC. Accordingly, the offer is now unconditional.
 
 As        at 7.00pm (Sydney time) on 24 February 2014, Centamin, through its        wholly owned subsidiary, Centamin West Africa Holdings Limited ("CWA"),        had a relevant interest in 126,321,285 shares or 51.14% in Ampella        Mining Limited ("Ampella").
 
 This gives Centamin the        right under the offer to appoint a majority of the directors to the        board of Ampella and to take effective control of all operational        matters concerning Ampella. Centamin has requested that Paul Kitto, Ron        Renton and Michael Anderson resign from the board of Ampella and has        nominated Josef El-Raghy, Mark Arnesen and Heidi Brown to be appointed        as directors of Ampella. Peter Mansell and Ronnie Beevor shall continue        as non-executive directors of Ampella until the earlier of Ampella        de-listing from the ASX or CWA acquiring a relevant interest in 90% of        the shares in Ampella.
 
 Josef El-Raghy, Chairman of Centamin,        commented:
 
 "We are pleased to have successfully gained control of        Ampella and thank the outgoing directors for their support during this        recommended offer process. We also recognise the key contribution that        Dr Paul Kitto has made to establishing a significant new gold province        in Burkina Faso and we welcome his future involvement with our        management group so that we may continued to discover and develop gold        projects in this area and the wider region."
 
 For more        information please contact:
 
 Centamin plc
 
 Josef El-Raghy,        Chairman
 
 Andy Davidson, Head of Business Development and Investor        Relations
 
 (andy.davidson@centamin.je)
 
 +44 (0) 1534 828708
 
 Buchanan
 
 Bobby        Morse
 
 Gordon Poole
 
 Gabriella Clinkard
 
 + 44 (0) 20        7466 5000
 
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