Central Bank of Bahrain Compliance Enforcement Reports

In case you missed it, I certainly had until just recently, the CBB is publishing annual “Compliance Enforcement Reports” which provide information on actions taken by the CBB to enforce regulations.  

This is a good source of information on the types of violations that occur as well as trends year to year.  Of interest—AA certainly hopes—is the section that names violators and provides a generic description of the violation.  But this is only for some violations.  You’ll see some of the firms that have appeared on this blog as repeat offenders in the CBB’s  reports. 

Reports for 2018, 2017, and 2016 have been posted.  The 2016 report has some data on 2015.  If the past is any guide, reports for this year will be issued in January 2020. 

AA was particularly gratified by two items in the 2018 report both appearing on Page 9.  

First, the CBB levied a fine (which was upheld on appeal) on a BSE listed company that had provided a clarification to an overseas exchange, where it is cross-listed, regarding the content of a news article published in that overseas jurisdiction about the listed company’s operations.  This clarification was disseminated on the overseas exchange’s website without the same on Bahrain Bourse’s website, which was only published by the listed company, a day after, in response to the CBB’s instructions.   

Faithful readers of this blog (that would be AA) will recall a characteristic AA rant about a failure by GFH to provide the same information on its 3Q10 financials on the BSE as it did in the UAE.  

And AA’s appeal to the CBB to change disclosure rules to require the same. 

As outlined in the CBB’s  2018 report, this requirement exists as per Section OFS-5.1.19 of Rulebook Volume 6 Capital Markets.  It appears to have been imposed in January 2014, though it may have existed elsewhere in another rulebook.  

Here’s chapter and verse of OFS-5.1.19.  

For Bahraini issuers who made an offer or listed their securities outside Bahrain, and for overseas issuers who made an offer or listed their securities in Bahrain, all information of importance to shareholders made public about the issuer in other markets must be made public in Bahrain, whether or not disclosure of such information would otherwise be required by the CBB.    

Note that this requirement includes the "making of an offer" and not just listing on the BSE.

Second, the CBB sanctioned an unnamed individual investor for market manipulation during 2018.