They were not specificially "restricted" but placed in an escrow type account as to no be available to EESO for release.
The perspective buyer effectivelly took those 300 million shares off the table so that EESO could not release them into the market or give them to an insider or vendor part way through the buyout negotiation when it became clear what price the buyer was offering for the shares.
This was a move done at the request of the buyer to protect them...its also protects against some very standard counter-buyout tactics.