Investors Accuse Stanbic-IBTC, Chapel Hill Of Fraud In Starcom Private Placement

A row is in the brew in the community of investors, especially, among those that bought into the private placement of Starcomms Plc last year. At the centre of the uproar are two issuing houses to the shares of Starcomms Plc, Chapel Hill Denham and Stanbic-IBTC.

Mr. Adebayo, one of the investors that bought the private placement of Starcomms Plc observed in a fit of frustration that it is very evident that “Starcomms Plc Private Placement” has become the epitome of “fraud.”

“The Placement of 4.95 billion shares, which opened and closed on 3rd June 2008 at a price of N13:00 appeared so attractive to investors at that time as it was over-subscribed,” Adebayo recalled.

Apparently angered at the down-turn of the investment, Adebayo explained that: “The projection in the placement memorandum says that the company will declare a loss of N197 million at the end of 2008 financial year end. Unfortunately, the company declared a loss after tax of N1.014 billion in the second quarter and N2.149 billion in the just released third quarter result.”

Starcomms Plc was listed at N13.56 on Monday, 14th July, 2008, between then and now, the price of the share had slid to a low of N3.86.

“In fact, the price dropped consistently to N7.46 less than two months after listing,” Adebayo opined. “The question to ask now is during that period, who was selling since most investors that bought shares during the private placement still had certificates that were unverified. Could it have been the original owners dumping on new investors? Can someone please explain why the variance between the forecast and the actual result declared is so staggering? Was money being laundered? What happened to the proceeds of the placement? How much expansion has the company embarked upon since the placement?” Adebayo queried.

Another investor frontally accused the two issuing houses to Starcomms placement, StanbicIBTC and Chapel Hill Denham, a capital market operator that was recently selected as one of the market makers for the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Concerned investors argued that the two issuing houses lent their brand names to be exploited by Starcomms to defraud them.

“The placement was actually successful because Starcomms Plc leveraged on the good name and credibility of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc and Chapel Hill Advisory Partners. But looking at the whole situation closely, it seems there is more to what we can see. It’s so obvious that Starcomms’ goal from the word go was to defraud the public,” an investor submitted.

“Another question begging for an answer is the role of the two issuing houses in this? Or did Lababidi/Starcomms Plc (Chief Maan Labadidi is the Chairman of the board of Starcomms Plc) act alone?” Adebayo asked. While trying to establish a connection and possible connivance to defraud investors, Adebayo questioned the appointment of Mr. Wale Edun, Chairman of the board of Chapel Hill as a non-Executive Director of Starcommc Plc.

“I want to question the connection between the sudden appointment of the Chairman of Chapel Hill Advisory (Mr. Wale Edun) as a non-Executive Director of Starcomms Plc? Have the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) been asking any questions? How have the professional parties to the placement been able to comply with post-listing compliance requirements? Why are the regulatory bodies keeping mute about this great injustice to investors?” Adebayo queried.

Giving further revelations of the intentions of the Chairman of Starcomms to approach the capital market to raise funds for another company that he has interest in, Adebayo said:

“We hear that the same Lababidi now wants to bring another company to the market (Supreme Flourmill Ltd); this only shows that this individual thinks we are all fools in Nigeria. Please beware of this offer,” Adebayo warned other investors.

Commenting on what investment in Starcomms had turned to, Mr. Ajisafe, another investor opined:

“This is a serious matter and I have decided to sensitise everyone on my list thereto. This is, no doubt, a huge fraud and I am of the opinion that the SEC and NSE should stand indicted in the whole affair! Also, the two issuing houses, I believe, have an explanation to make to unsuspecting investors because investors relied on the strength of their analyses to buy the Starcomms offer. This is shameful and I submit that the matter be investigated and all those found to be culpable be treated in line with the IST sanctions. They are no better than Madoff! Moreover, investors should be wary of issues by the concerned issuing houses (Chapel Hill and StanbicIBTC),” Ajisafe submitted.

Another investor said of the suspicion of collaboration to rip investors on the Starcomms’ private placement.

“It is amazing what our corporate gurus are doing to stay on top of the ladder, gone were the days when our industrialists gave to charity, now our so called industrialists have board meetings and make strategies on how to use their companies to defraud the masses. We are all talking about Madoff but oblivious to the presence of individuals perpetrating worse atrocities right here in Nigeria. We all know that hedge funds are not regulated, and that probably explains why they are able to get away with all they do. How do we justify or indeed explain the flagrant act of fraud against the public in a regulated market? Starcomms came into the market to raise capital, many unsuspecting investors rushed at it, expecting high returns on their investments; it is a pity that it is now a different story entirely. It is obvious that being a politician is not the only way to “rush” up the ladder of wealth; the capital market is an untapped goldmine to fraudulently enrich people who are influential in the business and financial sectors, thanks to our Indian “friend.”

In a statement made available to Fortune&Class Weekly by officials of Chapel Hill Denham, one of the issuing houses to the Starcomms private placement, the issuing house noted that “several investors never read the PPM or all the documentation made available at the time of the placement and many bought through brokers and friends, who were among those invited and never actually saw any documentation and never understood that it was sold as a growth stock, which would make a loss in 2008 (albeit, a smaller loss than we expect to see for 2008), a profit in 2009 and pay dividend in 2010.”

Chapel Hill Denham further asserted in the statement that, “What essentially has happened is that a completely unforeseen heavy subsidy led competition by Visafone and Telkom Multilinks, has meant Starcomms spending about N2 billion more on subsidies than was projected. Essentially, a line with a handset costs about $45 each and it was being sold at N10 each. Starcomms board and management felt that it did not yet have the scale from a subscriber perspective at 1.2million gross subscribers, to stay out of this battle for subscribers.”

The statement further explained that Starcomms had over the years to over 2.5 million gross subscribers, higher than the business plan but at a hefty cost.

“This subscriber’s base will be beneficial this year and beyond, as you can imagine that over two million subscribers spending about $15 per month should generate revenue of about $350 million in 2009. This is not a business in distress by any circumstances,” the Chapel Hill Denham statement observed.

The management of Chapel Hill Denham also explained that contrary to the rumour being spread, the founders, the Lababidis actually increased their holding during the private placement, spending about $17million directly and indirectly, through their other businesses.

“The only shareholders who sold during the placement were the two private equity firms, Actis and ECP, for whom the funds they invested from had come to the end of their life and had to return the money to their investors and partners. All of these were disclosed to investors in the private placement,” the statement noted.

No official of Stanbic-IBTC was available for comment.