To: charred who wrote (10114 ) 10/7/1999 9:34:00 AM From: Bob Walsh Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 10836
News Release: Company Press Release SOURCE: Crystallex International Corporation Proposed Class Action Against Crystallex Dismissed VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Crystallex International Corporation (Amex: KRY; Toronto) today announced that the shareholder action challenging the Company's statements concerning its acquisition of interests in Las Cristinas 4 & 6 has been dismissed by the court overseeing the action. In an opinion and order dated October 1, 1999, and released yesterday, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed the purported consolidated class action complaint brought against Crystallex and certain of its officers and directors, and closed the case. As has been previously stated, Crystallex, in good faith, acquired Inversora Mael, a company that remains the registered title holder published in the Official Gazette for the Cristinas 4 & 6 concessions. The Supreme Court of Venezuela ruled on the validity of the transfer of title for the Las Cristinas 4 & 6 concessions to Inversora Mael and it was duly published by order of the Court in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Venezuela on May 15, 1997, (Issue # 5146 extraordinary). However, in June 1998, the Political Administrative Chamber of Venezuela's Supreme Court ruled on procedural grounds that Mael did not have status to assert ownership rights and refused to proceed with a lawsuit. Because this 1998 decision was procedural, the court did not decide the fundamental ownership issues. Indeed, a dissenting opinion in the case stated the 1998 decision conflicts with earlier decisions of the Venezuelan Supreme Court. Crystallex is actively taking steps in order to attempt to ultimately obtain possession of the Cristinas 4 & 6 concessions. ``Crystallex looks forward to the opportunity to finally resolve the continuing uncertainty over the title rights to the concessions,' said Marc J. Oppenheimer, President and CEO. ``Once the ownership issue is cleared up, we can all turn our efforts to the development of Las Cristinas in the best interest of everyone, particularly the people of Venezuela.' Crystallex International Corporation is a gold mining and exploration company. The Company's strategy for growth is to develop its portfolio of properties in South America as well as to diversify geographically by investing in producing or near-production projects and by exploring properties of merit in other areas of the world. Note: This news release may contain certain ``forward-looking statements' within the meaning