The pot of shares blames the kettle of shares. Ajax chairman Michael van Praag has failed to register his own Ajax shares with the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM). More than four months after Van Praag officially took up employment in Amsterdam, the supervisory authority still does not have information that must be reported by law within two weeks. That message of US.
According to the Association of Securities Owners (VEB), Van Praag cannot be held to account for his failure to comply with the reporting obligation.
“As a director and as a supervisory director, you must know that you must make this report at all times. And if he does not know that, then he may not be suitable for this position,” responds VEB director Gerben Everts.
Ajax acknowledges that a report must be made to the AFM. After questions from NOS, Van Praag made a report in the register today, the club said in a response. “This is an administrative omission of a fact that was fully known to the market,” Ajax writes. “As soon as we came across it, it was straightened out immediately.”
It is about the principle. He also expressed that principle very clearly to Alex Kroes.
Gerben Everts, director of the Association of Securities Owners
According to Ajax, Van Praag bought one hundred shares in May 1998 at the club’s IPO. Afterwards he would not have bought or sold any more shares. That number of one hundred shares is also mentioned in official pieces which Ajax published in November last year upon the appointment of Van Praag. Chaos Ajax is growing
The relatively low number of shares is no reason for the VEB to turn a blind eye. “It’s about the principle. He also expressed that principle very clearly to Alex Kroes. At this level, as a listed company you play in the Champions League and then you simply have to comply with the laws and regulations.”
Last week, the new Ajax director Kroes was suspended by the Supervisory Board, of which Van Praag is chairman. Kroes appeared to have purchased Ajax shares just before the announcement of his appointment.
In front of the camera van Praag said this week about his conversation with Kroes: “He said it wasn’t all that bad and that he didn’t know the rules. But if you are so active on the stock exchange and you become CEO of a listed company. .. Every Dutch person should know the law, insider trading is a crime,” Van Praag said at the time.