Former BCE executive assistant investigated for insider trading

Quebec's securities regulator is investigating a former executive assistant to a senior officer of BCE Inc. over allegations of insider trading that netted herfamily and friends $1 million between 2012 and 2015.

The Autorit des marchs financiers (AMF)recently executed search warrants and obtained freeze and cease-trade orders againstRene Morier, who used to work at BCE as an executive assistant to an unnamed "senior officer" of the telecommunications giant.

The regulator noted in a release that the investigation does not target BCE itself, a company that the AMF makes clearis "fully co-operating with the investigation."

The regulator alleges that Morier was giving privileged information related to the acquisition ofGlentel Inc., Bell Aliant and Astral Media Inc., to certain family members and friends.

"These individuals then used this information to trade in the securities of these companies and generate a profit of more than $1 million," the regulator said.

The freeze and cease-tradeorders have been issuedagainstMorier, her spouseSylvain Milette, her parentsMarie Fenez and Raymond Morier, a friend (Francis Beauchamp) and his parents (Jeanne Brul and Alain Beauchamp) and various companies administered by some of them.