Source: The Canadian Press

The B.C. securities commission says it’s reviewing trading in shares of Taseko Mines Ltd. (TSX:TKO), a Vancouver-based miner at the centre of a controversy surrounding recent wild swings in its stock price.

A CBC news report on Wednesday raised questions about unusually heavy trading in Taseko shares on Oct. 14 — about 2 1/2 weeks before the Vancouver company was denied federal approval for the controversial Prosperity mine.

The value of Taseko’s shares was cut by 25% the day after federal government’s announcement on Nov. 2. The shares have continued to trade well below the pre-announcement level.

Coincidentally, the shares dropped briefly to about the same level on Oct. 14 and then rebounded the same day in heavy trading that has yet to be explained.

Opposition MPs in Ottawa have called for an investigation into whether there was a leak of information from the federal environment department ahead of the formal announcement by then-minister Jim Prentice.

Prentice announced a few days after the Taseko decision that he was leaving politics by the end of this year, in order to a position as vice-chairman and senior executive vice-president of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TSX:CM).

The British Columbia Securities Commission says it doesn’t comment on matters under review, but it confirmed Thursday that the Taseko trading is under investigation.