Insider Trading Insiders tighten grip on World Wide

Senior management of World Wide Minerals (WWS-T) dramatically increased their stock in that company through private placements in March, according to insider trading reports released by the Ontario Securities Commission.

President Wallace Mays bought 6.4 million shares indirectly at 29cents to hold 7.6 million through WM Mining LLC., while chief executive officer Paul Carrol bought 6.6 million shares at 29cents and 170,000 shares indirectly at 26cents to hold 6.7 million directly and 700,500 in his RRSP.

World Wide’s senior vice presidents,, Dustin Garrow and David Layman, each bought 500,000 shares at 29cents to hold equivalent amounts.

The above transactions include a private placement with Dundee Bancorp, which formerly held more than 10%. Dundee sold 8.6 million shares indirectly at 29cents to hold none. Of those, 1.2 million are being held in escrow and will be released to Garrow and Layman in two equal blocks this month and also in May of next year.

Funding for the Dundee transaction was provided by a $4.5-million short-term loan issued by that company to World Wide. The loan nearly doubles the junior’s debt with the firm and excludes an existing working capital facility of US$60 million with Deutsche Bank.

World Wide currently has 58.4 million shares outstanding.

Other transactions reported by the OSC in recent weeks include the following: * Dia Met Minerals (DMM-T) — Peter Atkinson, director, exercised 26,000 Class A options at $11.25 and sold those at $23.40 to hold 127,500 options and 275 shares; Audrey Miles sold 1,250 Class A shares at $24-24.10 to hold 1,750.

* Inca Mining (IM-A) — Joel Scodnick, director, bought 14,500 shares directly at 60-69cents and another 12,000 shares indirectly at 61-69cents, and sold 11,000 shares directly at 61cents and another 3,000 indirectly at 61-65cents, to hold 3.2 million shares directly, 3.1 million through 671406 Alberta Inc. and another 3.1 million through Gabriel Maria.

* Platexco (PGMI-C) — Roger Scoon, director, bought 50,000 shares at 1cents in a private placement, to hold 50,000.

* Rupert Resources (RUP-V) — Paul Wardhaugh, officer, was granted 50,000 options at 46cents, exercised 20,000 options at 21cents, acquired 100,000 shares in a private placement at 1cents, bought another 5,800 directly at $1.94-2.70, and sold 4,700 shares at $3-3.30. The transactions left him holding 200,000 shares and no options.

* TVX Gold (TVX-T) — Eike Batista, director, was granted 300,000 options at $3.90 to hold 8.15 million; Ross Brown, director, was granted 12,500 options at $3.90 to hold 182,500; Alan De’Ath, director, was granted 60,000 options at an undisclosed price to hold 435,000; Flavio Godinho, director, was granted 60,000 options at $3.90 to hold 615,000; Ian Horne, director, was granted 12,500 options at $3.90 to hold 92,500; Gregory Laing, director, was granted 12,500 options at $3.90 to hold 182,500; David Murray, director, was granted 100,000 options at $3.90 to hold 800,000; Kenneth Sangster, director, was granted 60,000 options at $3.90 to hold 435,000; Albrecht Schneider, director, was granted 30,000 options at $3.90 to hold 425,000; and Melvyn Williams, director, was granted 12,500 options at $3.90 to hold 182,500.