Attached files
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EX-31.1 - CERTIFICATION CEO - MOBETIZE, CORP. | exhibit311.htm |
EX-31.2 - CERTIFICATION CFO - MOBETIZE, CORP. | exhibit312.htm |
EX-32.1 - CERTIFICATION CEO - MOBETIZE, CORP. | exhibit321.htm |
EX-32.2 - CERTIFICATION CFO - MOBETIZE, CORP. | exhibit322.htm |
10-Q - MOBETIZE 10-Q JUNE 2016 - MOBETIZE, CORP. | mobetize10qjune.htm |
Exhibit 14
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS
1. Policy Statement
Good corporate governance requires that Mobetize Corp. (the Company) provide a code of
conduct for its officers, employees and directors within the meaning of Section 406 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and Item 406(b) of Regulation S-K of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended. This Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the Code) reflects the Companys
commitment to conduct business in an honest and ethical manner.
Individuals, who work for or serve the Company, are an extension of the Company. Our commitment
to honesty and ethical conduct only can be achieved if you, individually, accept your responsibility to
promote integrity and demonstrate the highest level of ethical conduct in all of your activities.
Activities that may compromise the Company's reputation or integrity must be avoided. While the
Company realizes that not every situation is black or white, the key to compliance with this Code is
exercising good judgment. This means following both the letter and the spirit of this Code and all
applicable laws, doing the "right" thing, and acting ethically at all times, even when the law or this
Code may not address specifically the issue at hand.
We rely in part on our managers to set an example for other employees and to supervise the actions
of others. Every manager and supervisor is expected to take any action necessary to ensure
compliance with this Code, to provide guidance and assist employees in resolving questions
concerning the Code and to permit employees to express any concerns regarding compliance with
this Code. No one has the authority to order another employee to act contrary to this Code.
2. Conflicts of Interest and Corporate Opportunities
You must avoid any situation in which your personal interests conflict or even appear to conflict
with the Company's interests. You owe a duty to the Company to advance its legitimate interests
when the opportunity to do so arises in the course of your employment or service. You should
never compromise any of the Company's legitimate interests.
You must perform your duties to the Company in an honest and ethical manner. You must handle all
actual or apparent conflicts of interest between your personal and professional relationships in an
ethical manner.
You should avoid situations in which your immediate family, financial or other personal interests
conflict, or even appear to conflict, with those of the Company. You may not engage in activities that
compete with the Company or place the Company's interests at risk. You should not take, for your
own benefit, opportunities discovered in the course of employment that may otherwise benefit the
Company. The following are examples of actual or potential conflicts:
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Exhibit 14
you, or a member of your immediate family, receive improper personal benefits (including
but not limited to the receipt of gifts) as a result of your position in the Company;
you use the Company's property for your personal benefit;
you engage in activities that interfere with your loyalty to the Company or your ability to
perform Company duties or responsibilities effectively;
you work simultaneously (whether as an employee or a consultant) for a competitor,
customer or supplier;
you, or a member of your immediate family, have a financial interest in a customer, supplier,
or competitor which is significant enough to cause divided loyalty with the Company or the
appearance of divided loyalty (the significance of a financial interest depends on many factors, such
as size of investment in relation to your income, net worth and/or financial needs, your potential to
influence decisions that could impact your interests, and the nature of the business or level of
competition between the Company and the supplier, customer or competitor);
you, or a member of your immediate family, acquire an interest in property (such as real
estate, patent or other intellectual property rights or securities) in which you have reason to know
the Company has, or might have, a legitimate interest;
you, or a member of your immediate family, receive a loan or a guarantee of a loan from a
customer, supplier or competitor (other than a loan from a financial institution made in the ordinary
course of business and on an arm's-length basis);
you make gifts or payments, or provide special favors, to customers, suppliers or competitors
(or their immediate family members) with a value significant enough to cause the customer, supplier
or competitor to make a purchase, or take or forego other action, which is beneficial to the Company
and which the customer, supplier or competitor would not otherwise have taken; or
you are given the right to buy stock in other companies or you receive cash or other payments
in return for promoting the services of an advisor, such as an investment banker, to the Company.
The existence of a conflict is not always readily apparent. If you become aware of a conflict described
above or any other conflict, potential conflict, or have a question as to a potential conflict, you should
consult with higher levels of management or the Company's Audit Committee and/or follow the
procedures described in Sections 9 and 10 of this Code. If you become involved in a situation that
gives rise to an actual conflict, you must inform higher levels of management or the Company's Audit
Committee of the conflict. Our Audit Committee is identified in Section 10 of this Code.
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Exhibit 14
3. Confidentiality
All confidential information concerning the Company is the property of the Company and must
be protected.
Confidential information includes all non-public information that might be of use to competitors, or
harmful to the Company or its customers, if disclosed. You must maintain the confidentiality of such
information entrusted to you by the Company, its customers and its suppliers, except when
disclosure is authorized by the Company or required by law.
Examples of confidential information include, but are not limited to: the Company's trade secrets;
business trends and projections; information about financial performance; new product or
marketing plans; research and development ideas or information; manufacturing processes;
information about potential acquisitions, divestitures and investments; stock splits, public or private
securities offerings or changes in dividend policies or amounts; significant personnel changes; and
the acquisition, loss or changes of or to existing or potential major contracts, orders, suppliers,
customers or finance sources.
Your obligation with respect to confidential information extends beyond your activities in the
workplace. In that respect, it applies to communications with your immediate family members and
continues to apply even after your employment or director relationship with the Company
terminates.
4. Insider Trading
You should never trade securities on the basis of confidential information acquired through your
employment or fiduciary relationship with the Company.
Under both federal law and Company policy, you are not permitted to purchase or sell Company
stock, directly or indirectly, on the basis of material non-public information concerning the Company.
Any person possessing material non-public information about the Company must not engage in
transactions involving Company securities until this information has been released to the public.
Generally, material information is information that would be expected to affect the investment
decisions of a reasonable investor or the market price of the stock. You are not allowed to trade in
the stock of other publicly held companies, such as existing or potential customers or suppliers, on
the basis of material confidential information obtained in the course of your employment or service
as a director. It also is illegal to recommend a stock to (i.e., "tip") someone else on the basis of such
information. If you have a question concerning appropriateness or legality of a particular securities
transaction, consult with corporate counsel. Directors, officers and certain other employees of the
Company are subject to additional responsibilities under the Company's insider trading compliance
policy, a copy of which has been provided to each such director, officer and employee.
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Exhibit 14
5. Fair Dealing
Our goal is to conduct our business with integrity.
You should make every effort to deal honestly with the Company's customers, suppliers, competitors,
and employees. Under federal and state laws, the Company is prohibited from engaging in unfair
methods of competition, and unfair or deceptive acts and practices. You should not take unfair
advantage of anyone through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information,
misrepresentation of material facts, or any other unfair dealing.
Examples of prohibited conduct include, but are not limited to:
bribery or payoffs to induce business or breaches of contracts by others;
acquiring a competitor's trade secrets through bribery or theft; or
making false, deceptive or disparaging claims or comparisons about competitors or their
products or services.
6. Protection and Proper Use of Company Assets
You should endeavor to protect the Company's assets and ensure their proper use.
Company assets, both tangible and intangible, are to be used solely for legitimate business purposes
of the Company and only by authorized employees or consultants. Intangible assets include
intellectual property such as trade secrets, patents, trademarks and copyrights, business, marketing
and service plans, engineering and manufacturing ideas, designs, databases, Company records, salary
information, and any unpublished financial data and reports. Unauthorized alteration, destruction,
use, disclosure or distribution of Company assets violates Company policy and this Code. Theft or
waste of, or carelessness in using, these assets have a direct adverse impact on the Company's
operations and profitability and will not be tolerated.
The Company provides computers, voice mail, electronic mail (e-mail), internet access, and other
Company resources to certain employees for the purpose of achieving the Company's business
objectives. As a result, the Company has the right to access, reprint, publish, or retain any information
created, sent or contained in any of the Company's computers or e-mail systems of any Company
machine. You may not use any Company resource for any illegal purpose, or in any manner that is
contrary to the Company's policies or the standards embodied in this Code.
You should not make copies of, or resell or transfer (externally or internally), copyrighted
publications, including software, manuals, articles, books, and databases being used in the Company,
that were created by another entity and licensed to the Company, unless you are authorized to do so
under the applicable license agreement. In no event should you load or use, on any Company
computer, any software, third party content or database without receiving the prior written
permission to do so. You must refrain from transferring any data or information to any Company
computer other than for Company use. You may use a handheld computing device or mobile phone
in connection with your work for the Company, but must not use such device or phone to access, load
or transfer content, software or data in violation of any applicable law or regulation or without the
permission of the owner of such content, software or data. If you should have any questions, please
consult with the Company's Chief Financial Officer.
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Exhibit 14
7. Compliance with Laws and Regulations
The Company seeks to comply with both the letter and spirit of the laws and regulations in all
countries in which it operates.
The Company is committed to total compliance with the laws and regulations of the cities, states and
countries in which it operates. You must comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations in
performing your duties for the Company. Various federal, state and local laws and regulations define
and establish obligations with which the Company, its officers, employees, directors and agents must
comply. Under certain circumstances, local country law may establish requirements that differ from
this Code. You are expected to comply with all local country laws in conducting the Company's
business. If you violate these laws or regulations in performing your duties for the Company, you not
only risk individual indictment, prosecution and penalties, and civil actions and penalties, you also
subject the Company to the same risks and penalties. Any violation of these laws may subject you to
immediate disciplinary action, up to and including termination of your employment or affiliation with
the Company.
8. Ethics Obligations for Employees with Financial Reporting Responsibilities
Senior management bears a special responsibility for promoting integrity throughout the
Company.
The Company's Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, principal accounting officer or
controller and persons performing similar functions, persons who meet the requirements of Item
406 of Regulation S-K, and such other Company officers as are designated from time to time by the
Audit Committee, shall be deemed the Senior Officers of the Company. Senior Officers have a
responsibility to foster a culture throughout the Company as a whole that mandates the fair and
timely reporting of the Company's results of operations and financial condition and other financial
information. Due to this special role, Senior Officers are also bound by the following senior
management code of ethics, and by accepting the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, each agrees
that he or she will:
perform his or her duties in an honest and ethical manner;
address all actual or apparent conflicts of interest between his or her personal and
professional relationships in an ethical manner;
undertake all necessary actions to ensure complete, accurate, thorough, timely, and
understandable disclosure in reports and documents that the Company files with, or submits to,
government agencies and in other public communications; and
proactively encourage and provide an example of ethical behavior in the work environment.
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Exhibit 14
9. Reporting Violations of Company Policies and Receipt of Complaints Regarding Financial Reporting
or Accounting Issues
You should report any violation or suspected violation of this Code to the appropriate Company
personnel or via the Company's anonymous and confidential reporting procedures.
The Company's efforts to ensure observance of, and adherence to, the goals and policies outlined in
this Code require that you promptly bring to the attention of the Audit Committee, any material
transaction, relationship, act, failure to act, occurrence or practice that you believe, in good faith, is
inconsistent with, in violation of, or reasonably could be expected to give rise to a violation of, this
Code. You should report any suspected violations of the Company's financial reporting obligations or
any complaints or concerns about questionable accounting or auditing practices in accordance with
the procedures set forth below.
Here are some approaches to handling your reporting obligations:
in the event you believe a violation of the Code, or a violation of applicable laws and/or
governmental regulations has occurred, or you have observed or become aware of conduct which
appears to be contrary to the Code, immediately report the situation to your supervisor, or the Audit
Committee. Supervisors or managers who receive any report of a suspected violation must report the
matter to the Audit Committee.
if you have or receive notice of a complaint or concern regarding the Company's financial
disclosure, accounting practices, internal accounting controls, auditing, or questionable accounting
or auditing matters, you must immediately advise your supervisor, or the Audit Committee.
Should you wish to report any such matters anonymously or confidentially, then you may do so as
follows:
Mail a description of the suspected violation or other complaint or concern to:
Audit Committee
Mobetize Corp.
8105 Birch Bay Square Street, Suite 205
Blaine, Washington 98230
Other Guiding Principles
A.
Use common sense and good judgment. Act in good faith. You should become familiar with and
understand the requirements of this Code. If you become aware of a suspected violation, do not try
to investigate it or resolve it on your own. Instead, promptly disclose the violation to the appropriate
parties in order to assure a thorough and timely investigation and resolution. The circumstances
should be reviewed by appropriate personnel as quickly as possible, since a delay may affect the
results of an investigation. A violation of the Code, or of applicable laws and/or governmental
regulations, is a serious matter and could have legal implications. Allegations of such behavior are
not taken lightly, and should not be made to embarrass someone, or put him or her in a false light.
Reports of suspected violations always should be made in good faith.
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Exhibit 14
B.
Internal investigation. When an alleged violation of this Code, applicable laws and/or
governmental regulations is reported, the Company will take appropriate action in accordance with
the compliance procedures outlined in Section 10 of the Code. You are expected to cooperate in
internal investigations of alleged misconduct or violations of the Code or of applicable laws or
regulations.
C.
No fear of retaliation. It is the Company's policy that there will be no intentional retaliation
against any person who provides truthful information to a company or law enforcement official
concerning a possible violation of any law, regulation or Company policy, including this Code. Persons
who retaliate may be subject to civil, criminal and administrative penalties, as well as disciplinary
action, up to and including termination of employment. In cases in which you report a suspected
violation in good faith and are not engaged in the questionable conduct, the Company will attempt to
keep its discussions with you confidential to the extent reasonably possible. In the course of its
investigation, the Company may find it necessary to share information with others on a "need to
know" basis. No retaliation will be taken against you by the Company for reporting alleged violations
while acting in good faith. Similarly, if you believe you are being retaliated against, as a result of your
having reported a suspected violation in good faith, you should immediately report that information
to your supervisor or the Audit Committee.
10. Compliance Procedures
The Company has established this Code as part of its overall policies and procedures. To the
extent that other Company policies and procedures conflict with this Code, you should follow this
Code. The Code applies to all Company directors and Company employees, including all officers,
in all locations.
The Code is based on the Company's core values, good business practices and applicable law. The
existence of a Code, however, does not assure that officers, employees and directors will comply with
it or act in a legal and ethical manner. To achieve optimal legal and ethical behavior, the individuals
subject to this Code must know and understand the Code as it applies to them and as it applies to
others. You must promote the Code and assist others in knowing and understanding it.
Compliance. You are expected to become familiar with and understand the requirements of
this Code. Most importantly, you must comply with it.
CEO Responsibility. The Company's Chief Executive Officer shall be responsible for ensuring
that this Code is established and effectively communicated to all officers, employees and directors.
Although the day-to-day compliance issues will be the responsibility of the Company's managers, the
Chief Executive Officer has ultimate accountability with respect to the overall implementation of and
successful compliance with the Code.
Corporate Compliance Management. The Chief Executive Officer and the Audit Committee
shall be responsible for assuring that the Code becomes an integral part of the Company's culture.
The current members of the Audit Committee are Dr. Malek Ladki, and Donald Duberstein. Any
complaints or concerns related to the Company's financial disclosures, accounting, internal controls
and auditing matters, will be promptly directed to the Audit Committee.
Internal Reporting of Violations. The Company's efforts to assure observance of, and
adherence to, the goals and policies outlined in this Code mandate that all officers, employees and
directors of the Company report suspected violations in accordance with Section 9 of this Code.
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Exhibit 14
Screening of Employees. The Company shall exercise due diligence when hiring and
promoting employees and, in particular, when conducting an employment search for a position
involving the exercise of substantial discretionary authority, such as a member of the executive team,
a senior management position or an employee with financial management responsibilities. The
Company will make reasonable inquiries into the background of each individual who is a candidate
for such a position. All such inquiries shall be made in accordance with applicable law and good
business practice.
Access to the Code. The Company shall assure that employees, officers and directors may
access this Code on the Company's web site. In addition, each current employee will be provided with
a copy of the Code. New employees will receive a copy of the Code as part of their new hire
information.
Monitoring. The officers of the Company shall be responsible to review the Code with all of
the Company's managers. In turn, the Company's managers with supervisory responsibilities should
review the Code with their direct reports. Managers are the "go to" persons for employee questions
and concerns relating to this Code, especially in the event of a potential violation. Managers or
supervisors will immediately report any violations or allegations of violations to the Audit
Committee. Managers will work with the Audit Committee in assessing areas of concern, potential
violations, any needs for enhancement of the Code or remedial actions to effect the Code's policies
and overall compliance with the Code and other related policies.
Auditing. Resources selected by the Audit Committee will be responsible for auditing the
Company's compliance with the Code.
Internal Investigation. When an alleged violation of the Code is reported, the Company will
take prompt and appropriate action in accordance with the law and regulations and otherwise
consistent with good business practice. If the suspected violation appears to involve either a possible
violation of law or an issue of significant corporate interest, or if the report involves a complaint or
concern of any person, whether an employee, a shareholder or other interested person regarding the
Company's financial disclosure, internal accounting controls, questionable auditing or accounting
matters or practices or other issues relating to the Company's accounting or auditing, then the
manager or investigator should immediately notify the Audit Committee and/or his or her manager
or other corporate officer. If a suspected violation involves any director or executive officer, or if the
suspected violation concerns any fraud, whether or not material, involving management or other
employees who have a significant role in the Company's internal controls, the Audit Committee or
any person who received such report should immediately report the alleged violation to the Board
of Directors. The Board of Directors shall assess the situation and determine the appropriate course
of action. At a point in the process consistent with the need not to compromise the investigation, a
person who is suspected of a violation shall be apprised of the alleged violation, and shall have an
opportunity to provide a response to the investigator.
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Disciplinary Actions. Subject to the following sentence, the Board of Directors, after
consultation with legal counsel, shall be responsible for implementing the appropriate disciplinary
action in accordance with the Company's policies and procedures for any employee who is found to
have violated this Code. Any violation of applicable law or any deviation from the standards
embodied in this Code will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of
employment. Any employee engaged in the exercise of substantial discretionary authority, including
any officer, who is found to have engaged in a violation of law or unethical conduct in connection
with the performance of his or her duties for the Company, shall be removed from his or her position
and not assigned to any other position involving the exercise of substantial discretionary authority.
In addition to imposing discipline upon employees involved in non-compliant conduct, the Company
also will impose discipline, as appropriate, upon an employee's supervisor, if any, who directs or
approves such employee's improper actions, or is aware of those actions but does not act
appropriately to correct them, and upon other individuals who fail to report known non-compliant
conduct.
Retention of Reports and Complaints. All reports and complaints made to, or received by, the
Audit Committee shall be logged into a record maintained for this purpose by the Audit Committee
and this record of such report shall be retained for not less than five (5) years.
Required Government Reporting. Whenever conduct occurs that requires a report to the
government, the Audit Committee, after consultation with legal counsel, shall be responsible for
complying with such reporting requirements.
Corrective Actions. Subject to the following sentence, in the event of a violation of this Code,
the manager and Audit Committee should assess the situation to determine whether the violation
demonstrates a problem that requires remedial action as to Company policies and procedures. If a
violation has been reported to the Audit Committee, that committee shall be involved in the
determination of appropriate remedial or corrective actions. Corrective action may include providing
revised public disclosure, retraining Company employees, modifying Company policies and
procedures, improving monitoring of compliance under existing procedures and other action
necessary to detect similar non-compliant conduct and prevent it from occurring in the future. Any
corrective action shall be documented, as appropriate.
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Exhibit 14
11. Complete, Timely and Understandable Disclosure
It is of crucial importance that all disclosure in reports and documents that the Company files
with, or submits to, the Securities & Exchange Commission, and in other public communications
made by the Company is full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable. You must take all steps
available to aid the Company in these responsibilities consistent with your role within the
Company. In particular, you are required to provide prompt and accurate answers to all
inquiries made to you in connection with the Company's preparation of its public reports and
disclosure.
The Company's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer are responsible for designing,
establishing, implementing, reviewing and evaluating, on a quarterly basis, the effectiveness of the
Company's disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined by applicable Securities &
Exchange Commission rules). The Company's Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer,
principal accounting officer or controller and persons performing similar functions, persons who
meet the requirements of Item 406 of Regulation S-K, and such other Company officers as are
designated from time to time by the Audit Committee, shall be deemed the Senior Officers of the
Company Senior Officers shall take all steps necessary and suitable to ensure that all disclosure in
reports and documents filed with or submitted to the Securities & Exchange Commission, and all
disclosure in other public communication made by the Company is full, fair, accurate, timely and
understandable.
Senior Officers are also responsible for implementing and maintaining adequate internal control over
financial reporting to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting
and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with Generally
Accepted Accounting Principles. Senior Officers shall take all necessary steps to ensure compliance
with established accounting procedures, the Company's system of internal controls and Generally
Accepted Accounting Principles. Senior Officers shall make sure that the Company maintains and
keeps books, records, and accounts, which, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the
transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company. Senior Officers also shall assure that the
Company devises and implements a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide
reasonable assurances that:
transactions are executed with management's general or specific authorization;
transactions are recorded as necessary (a) to permit preparation of financial statements in
conformity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles or any other criteria applicable to such
statements, and (b) to maintain accountability for assets;
access to assets is permitted, and receipts and expenditures are made, only in accordance
with management's general or specific authorization; and
the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable
intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences, all to permit prevention or
timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of assets that could have a material
effect on the Company's financial statements.
Any attempt to enter inaccurate or fraudulent information into the Company's accounting system
will not be tolerated and will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of
employment.
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12. Publication of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics; Amendments and Waivers
The most current version of this Code will be posted and maintained on the Company's web site
and filed as an exhibit to the Company's next succeeding Annual or Quarterly Report filed with
the Securities & Exchange Commission. The Report shall disclose that the Code is maintained on
the Company's web site and shall disclose that substantive amendments and waivers also will
be posted on our web site.
Only substantive amendments relating to the specified elements of this Code of Business Conduct
and Ethics must be disclosed. Any waiver of the Code for executive officers or directors may be made
only by the Board of Directors, and must be promptly disclosed to shareholders. Any amendment to
the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, or the approval of any waivers by the Board of Directors,
will be disclosed within five (5) business days of such action (a) on the Company's web site for a
period of not less than twelve (12) months and (b) in a Form 8-K filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Such disclosure shall include the reasons for any waiver. The Company will
retain the disclosure relating to any such amendment or waiver for not less than five (5) years.
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