14 Dec 2011 15:46
Firestone Diamonds plc
Results of Annual General Meeting and Appointment of Directors
LONDON: 14 December, 2011
Firestone Diamonds plc ("Firestone" or "the Company"), the AIM-quoted diamond mining and exploration company (ticker: AIM: FDI), announces results of the annual general meeting and the appointment of directors.
Annual General Meeting
At the annual general meeting ("AGM") of the Company held earlier today, all resolutions were duly passed.
Appointment of directors
The Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Braam Jonker to its Board as Non-executive Director with immediate effect. Mr Jonker was the Chief Financial Officer of Western Coal Corp. (WTN:TSX) until its recent acquisition by Walter Energy Inc. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Eastcoal Inc. (ECX: TSXV) and Mandalay Resources Corporation (MND:TSX), where he is also the Interim Chairman of the Board. Mr. Jonker has over 17 years of accounting and corporate finance experience in the mining industry. Mr. Jonker is a Chartered Accountant (South Africa and England & Wales) and holds a Masters Degree in South African and International Tax from Rand Afrikaans University. The information that is required to be disclosed pursuant to Schedule 2 paragraph (g) of the AIM Rules in respect of Mr. Jonker is set out below.
Due to an administrative error the notice of the AGM did not include resolutions relating to the re-appointment of directors who had been appointed during the year preceding the AGM, as provided for in the Company's articles of association. As a result, the relevant directors, Tim Wilkes, Angus Ogilvie and Paul Sobie, have been re-appointed by the Board until the next annual general meeting of the Company, at which resolutions for their re-appointment will be proposed.
Welcoming Mr. Jonker to the Board, Philip Kenny, Chairman of Firestone Diamonds, commented: "We are very pleased to be able to welcome someone with the extensive experience of the mining industry as Braam Jonker to the Board of Firestone Diamonds, and believe that he will be able to make a significant contribution to the development of the Company as it makes the transition to become a significant diamond producer."
For further information, visit the Company's web site at www.firestonediamonds.com or contact:
Philip Kenny, Chairman, Firestone Diamonds Tim Wilkes, CEO, Firestone Diamonds
| +44 20 8741 7810 / +44 7831 324 645 +27 78 457 6623 / +267 713 77686 |
Rory Scott, Mirabaud Securities (Nominated Broker)
| +44 20 7878 3360 |
Robert Beenstock, Brewin Dolphin (Nominated Adviser)
| +44 20 7246 1000 |
Jos Simson / Emily Fenton, Tavistock Communications
| +44 20 7920 3150 / +44 7899 870 450 |
Information required to be disclosed pursuant to Rule 17 and Schedule 2 paragraph (g) of the AIM Rules.
Abraham Hendrik Jonker, 43, is currently a director of the following companies:
Canada Coal Inc.
Eastcoal Inc.
Frog Ventures Limited
Mandalay Resources Corporation
In the past five years, Mr Jonker has been a director of the following companies:
Bindura Nickel Corporation Limited
Cambrian Investment Holdings Limited
Cambrian Mining Limited
Coal International Limited
EnergyBuild Group Limited
Freemove Limited
King-Coal Corporation Limited
Maple Coal Corporation Limited
Parc Selemba Limited
SouthernEra Cayman Islands Limited
SouthernEra Diamonds Inc
SouthernEra International Limited
0801721 BC Limited
Other than the information contained within this announcement, there is no further information required to be disclosed by the AIM Rules.
Background information on Firestone Diamonds:
Firestone Diamonds plc is an international diamond mining and exploration company with operations focused on Lesotho and Botswana. Firestone operates the Liqhobong Mine in Lesotho and the BK11 Mine in Botswana. Firestone is also the largest holder of mineral rights in Botswana's diamondiferous kimberlite fields, controlling approximately 10,000 square kilometres around the major Orapa and Jwaneng mines and the entire Tsabong kimberlite field. In addition to Liqhobong and BK11, Firestone has 108 kimberlites in its portfolio, of which 30 have been proven to be diamondiferous.
Lesotho is emerging as one of Africa's significant new diamond producers, and hosts Gem Diamonds' Letseng Mine, Firestone's Liqhobong Mine as well as the Kao and Mothae development projects. Botswana is the world's largest and lowest cost producer of diamonds, with annual production worth over $2.5 billion, and is considered to be one of the most prospective countries in the world to explore for diamonds.