IMA responds to Aquiline's Navidad summons

Vancouver-based IMA Exploration (TSX-V: IMR) has filed a statement of defense in response to legal proceedings started last month by Canada's Aquiline Resources (TSX-V: AQI) over ownership of the Navidad polymetallic project in southern Argentina. IMA Exploration said a copy of the statement, presented to the Supreme Court of British Columbia, would be filed with Canada's securities regulator SEDAR. "The company views the allegations [by Aquiline] to be without merit and will take all appropriate steps to protect its interests," IMA said in a statement. Aquiline alleges that IMA unlawfully used confidential information owned by Aquiline's subsidiary, Minera Aquiline Argentina, to identify and acquire Navidad, where significant silver and base metal mineralization has been confirmed over the last year. According to Aquiline, the confidential information was provided to IMA as part of the bidding process in 2002 for US miner Newmont's (NYSE: NEM) Calcatreu gold project, which Aquiline then went on to buy along with regional exploration data on Chubut and Rio Negro provinces. IMA Exploration maintains that Navidad was staked as a result of an ongoing regional exploration program.