QBT.L

Quantum Blockchain Technologies Plc
Quantum Blockchain Technologies Plc - Sipiem - First Court Settlement
16th May 2024, 06:00
TwitterFacebookLinkedIn
To continue viewing RNS, please confirm that you are a Private Investor*

* A Private Investor is a recipient of the information who meets all of the conditions set out below, the recipient:

  1. Obtains access to the information in a personal capacity;
  2. Is not required to be regulated or supervised by a body concerned with the regulation or supervision of investment or financial services;
  3. Is not currently registered or qualified as a professional securities trader or investment adviser with any national or state exchange, regulatory authority, professional association or recognised professional body;
  4. Does not currently act in any capacity as an investment adviser, whether or not they have at some time been qualified to do so;
  5. Uses the information solely in relation to the management of their personal funds and not as a trader to the public or for the investment of corporate funds;
  6. Does not distribute, republish or otherwise provide any information or derived works to any third party in any manner or use or process information or derived works for any commercial purposes.
16 May 2024

Quantum Blockchain Technologies Plc

(" QBT" or the "Company")

First Sipiem settlement and

Acquisition of 30% of the claims collection rights

The Company is pleased to announce that the first preliminary settlement has
been agreed between its wholly owned subsidiary, Clear Leisure 2017 Limited
("CL17"), and some of the Sipiem in Liquidazione S.r.l ("Sipiem") case
defendants.

Simultaneously, an agreement has been reached with Sipiem's receiver
("Receiver") to acquire its right to receive 30% of any sums collected, which
was a provision of the initial claim purchase agreement (as announced on 10
September 2019). As a result, all judgment debt and/or settlement funds
hereafter collected by CL17 will be entirely retained by it. Under the terms of
the 2019 agreement, CL17 acquired the rights to certain claims against the
former Sipiem directors and members of the statutory audit committee from
Sipiem's liquidator, for €50,000 (of which €30,000 is being held in an escrow
account) plus 30% of any sums collected, net of legal and other costs
conditional on the ruling against the defendants.

In October 2022, the Venice Court ruled in favour of CL17 for a sum of €6.275
million plus interest and inflation adjustment, to be paid by the defendants
(the "Judgment").

In February 2023, all defendants appealed the ruling and filed a request for the
collection actions by CL17 to be frozen until the outcome of the appeal.  The
application was approved in part by the Venice Court, with the exception of the
main defendant and one former director who continue to remain subject to
enforcement of the Judgment.

More recently, most of those Sipiem defendants who benefited from the February
2023 court order offered CL17 a settlement, subject to, among other things, the
Receiver's waiving pursuit of any possible civil and/or criminal claims against
them. Such settlement would involve an insurance provider for these specific
defendants

Following negotiations between CL17 and the Receiver regarding the proposed
settlement and the potential length of time to successfully conclude any
collection actions, the Receiver has agreed, with the approval of the Rovigo
Insolvency Court Judge in charge of the Sipiem bankruptcy case to sell to CL17
its rights reserved in the 2019 agreement, namely  30% of any sums collected
from the Sipiem matter, net of legal costs for a fixed amount of €170,000.

As a result, CL17 has agreed with these specific defendants currently protected
by the February 2023 court order to settle a portion of the judgment awarded to
CL17. The settlement is for a total cash consideration of €700,000, to be paid
in two installments, respectively within 20 and 30 days from the execution of
the preliminary settlement agreement completed on 29 April 2024.

The aforementioned €700,000 settlement further remains conditional upon the
approval by the Venice Court of Appeal. The interested parties have already
filed a joint application with that Court for this purpose.

In the event, however, that the Venice Court of Appeal does not set the hearing
date to approve the settlement before its ruling on the appeal before it against
the original Judgment, the preliminary agreement will be void.

The remaining value of the Judgment (provided the settlement is confirmed by the
Court) is approximately €5.575 million (plus interest and inflation adjustment).
CL17 continues its efforts to collect this amount from the remaining main
defendant and the other defendant not subject to the settlement agreement.

Francesco Gardin, Executive Chairman of QBT, commented: "We are very happy with
the outcome of this double negotiation with the Defendants and the Receiver,
which allows us to cash in the first tangible result of the Sipiem Litigation
and now gives us the rights to all funds recovered, namely the €700,000 of this
agreement and the balance amounting to €5.575 million plus interest and
augmentation for inflation.

This provides us with an improved negotiating position regarding the collection
of the remaining amount due to us"

For further information please contact:

Quantum Blockchain Technologies Plc

Francesco Gardin, CEO and Executive Chairman +39 335 296573

SP Angel Corporate Finance (Nominated Adviser & Broker)

Jeff Keating +44 (0)20 3470 0470

Kasia Brzozowska

Leander (Financial PR)

Christian Taylor-Wilkinson +44 (0) 7795 168 157

About Quantum Blockchain Technologies Plc

QBT (AIM: QBT) is an AIM listed investment company which has recently realigned
its strategic focus to technology related investments, with special regard to
Quantum computing, Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies and AI sectors. The Company has
commenced an aggressive R&D and investment programme in the dynamic world of
Blockchain Technology, which includes cryptocurrency mining and other advanced
blockchain applications.


This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com
https://news.cision.com/quantum-blockchain-technologies-plc/r/sipiem---first-court-settlement,c3982527
TwitterFacebookLinkedIn