This would appear not to be the case.
Insider & restricted shareholder transactions
The reason the ceo is doing this is to force out the naked shorts and put a squeeze on the play to reap big profits himself.
I've been paying more attention to this company lately. The problem is they can't make money. So Patrick Byrne attacks the short sellers when the price drops. Unfortunately, he's insane. If you've ever seen him you'd agree. Pretty funny, unless you own the stock.