Order: In the Matter of The Juniper Fund Management Corporation et al.

Order

IN THE MATTER OF THE SECURITIES ACT
R.S.O. 1990, c. S.5, AS AMENDED

- AND -

IN THE MATTER OF

THE JUNIPER FUND MANAGEMENT CORPORATION,
JUNIPER INCOME FUND, JUNIPER EQUITY GROWTH FUND
and ROY BROWN
(a.k.a. ROY BROWN-RODRIGUES)

ORDER
Section 127(7)

WHEREAS on March 8, 2006, the Ontario Securities Commission (the “Commission”) ordered pursuant to section 127(5) of the Securities Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. S.5, as amended (the “Act”) that all trading in the securities of the Juniper Income Fund and the Juniper Equity Growth Fund (the “Funds”) shall cease forthwith for a period of 15 days from the date thereof (the “Temporary Order”);

AND WHEREAS pursuant to sections 127(1) and 127(5) of the Act, a hearing was scheduled for March 23, 2006 at 10:00 a.m. (the “Hearing”);

AND WHEREAS the Respondents were served with the Temporary Order, the Notice of Hearing dated March 21, 2006, the Statement of Allegations dated March 21, 2006 and the Affidavit of Trevor Walz sworn March 17, 2006;

AND WHEREAS on March 23, 2006 the Commission ordered: (i) an extension of the Temporary Order to May 4, 2006; and (ii) an adjournment of the Hearing to May 4, 2006;

AND WHEREAS Staff have advised that the Commission issued two Directions dated May 4, 2006 under section 126(1) of the Act freezing bank accounts of The Juniper Fund Management Corporation (“JFM”), the Funds and Roy Brown without notice to any of the Respondents;

AND WHEREAS on May 4, 2006, the Commission ordered: (i) the Hearing adjourned to May 23, 2006; (ii) the Temporary Order extended to May 23, 2006; (iii) JFM not to be paid any monthly management fees; (iv) JFM’s requests for funds to pay expenses incurred by the Funds to continue to be subject to approval by NBCN Inc. (“NBCN”); (v) weekly lists of expenses by the Funds to continue to be provided to and reviewed by Staff; and (vi) neither JFM nor Roy Brown to deal in any way with the assets or investments of the Funds;

AND WHEREAS Staff have advised that on May 11, 2006 and June 30, 2006, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (the “Superior Court”) ordered that the two Directions dated May 4, 2006 freezing bank accounts of JFM, the Funds and Roy Brown be extended with the exception of the personal accounts and one JFM account as defined in the Superior Court orders dated May 11, 2006 and June 30, 2006;

AND WHEREAS the two Directions expired on September 30, 2006;

AND WHEREAS on May 18, 2006, the Superior Court issued an ex parte order appointing Grant Thornton Limited as Receiver over the assets, undertakings and properties of JFM and the Funds (the “Receivership Order”);

AND WHEREAS on May 18, 2006, the Commission granted leave to McMillan Binch Mendelsohn LLP to withdraw as counsel for the Respondents;

AND WHEREAS on May 23, 2006, the Commission ordered: (i) the Hearing adjourned to September 21, 2006; and (ii) the Temporary Order extended to September 21, 2006;

AND WHEREAS on June 2, 2006, the Superior Court confirmed and extended the Receivership Order and approved the conduct of the Receiver and its counsel as set out in the First Report of the Receiver dated May 30, 2006;

AND WHEREAS on September 21, 2006, the Commission ordered: (i) the Hearing adjourned to November 8, 2006; and (ii) the Temporary Order extended to November 8, 2006;

AND WHEREAS NBCN and National Bank Financial Ltd. (“NBFL”) have brought a motion for intervenor status in these proceedings (the “Intervenor Motion”);

AND WHEREAS on November 7, 2006, the Commission adjourned the Hearing and the Intervenor Motion to December 13, 2006 and extended the Temporary Order to December 13, 2006;

AND WHEREAS on November 17, 2006, the Superior Court ordered, inter alia, that: (i) the Receiver is authorized to call a meeting of unitholders of the Funds; and (ii) the conduct of the Receiver and its counsel, as described in the Second and Third Reports of the Receiver

is approved without prejudice to the right of NBFL and NBCN to dispute the Receiver’s conclusion that NBFL and NBCN hold no units in JEGF;

AND WHEREAS by letter dated December 6, 2006, counsel for NBCN and NBFL advised that they intend to withdraw the Intervenor Motion;

AND WHEREAS the First, Second and Third Reports of the Receiver have been filed with the Commission;

AND WHEREAS counsel for the Receiver has advised that the Receiver will shortly be sending out an update letter to all unitholders explaining the steps taken by the Receiver and the status of the ongoing receivership;

AND WHEREAS Staff advises that Staff’s investigation and the investigation by the Receiver are both ongoing and that there is a reasonable prospect that Staff’s investigation will be completed by March 2007;

AND WHEREAS counsel for the Receiver and Staff of the Commission have consented to: (i) an adjournment of the Hearing to March 2, 2007; and (ii) an extension of the Temporary Order to March 2, 2007 and counsel for Roy Brown has not consented to the adjournment and extension of the Temporary Order and requested the earliest possible return date;

AND WHEREAS counsel for Roy Brown and Staff of the Commission have agreed to meet approximately 10 days prior to March 2, 2007 to discuss this matter and have scheduled a tentative pre-hearing conference with a Commissioner on February 27, 2007 at 11:00 a.m.;

IT IS ORDERED pursuant to subsection 127(7) of the Act that:

(a) the Hearing is adjourned to March 2, 2007 at 10:00 a.m.; and

(b) the Temporary Order is extended until March 2, 2007.

DATED at Toronto this 29 th day of December, 2006

“Susan Wolburgh Jenah”

 

“Suresh Thakrar”

Susan Wolburgh Jenah

 

Suresh Thakrar