Centamin plc Participation in Placing

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Feb. 3, 2012) - Centamin plc ("Centamin" or "the Company") (TSX:CEE)(LSE:CEY) announces that it has subscribed for 67,000,000 new ordinary shares for a consideration of £4.0 million in the conditional placing ("the Placing") announced by Nyota Minerals Limited ("Nyota") today.

Following the Placing becoming unconditional in all respects, Centamin will own 90,000,000 Ordinary Shares in Nyota, equalling 14.08% of Nyota's enlarged share capital. Centamin was previously the holder of 23,000,000 shares in Nyota via its wholly owned subsidiary North African Resources NL.

Centamin views this investment as being in keeping with its stated objective of exploration and development in the highly prospective Arabian-Nubian Shield.

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