OREANDA-NEWS. January 25, 2012. Kursk Regional Arbitration Court pronounced legitimacy and reasonableness of a decision and determination of the Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service in the Kursk Region (Kursk OFAS Russia) regarding “Kurskoblnefteproduct” Ltd., reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

In June 2011, Kursk OFAS Russia established the fact of abusing dominance on the market of oil products by the monopolist. “Kurskoblnefteproduct” Ltd. fixed monopolistically high wholesale ex-works prices for winter diesel fuel in the period from 1st January to 14th March 2011.

The Commission of the antimonopoly body issued a determination to the company to transfer the income obtained as a result of violating the antimonopoly law in the federal budget. The Commission also imposed a turnover fine upon the violator – around three million Rubles.

“Based on the investigation, OFAS experts established that in the past winter season the monopolist fixed unreasonably high wholesale price for winter diesel fuel during two and a half months – increasing the price by 1100-1300 Rubles per a ton of fuel.

The Court agreed with our conclusions, and if other Court instances support the position of Kursk Regional Arbitration Court, the monopolist will have to return unlawfully obtained income to the federal budget and pay the fine for abusing market dominance. Moreover, in the future we can impose more severe fines upon “Kurskoblnefteproduct” Ltd. for such violations of the antimonopoly law due to recidivism”, commented the Head of Kursk OFAS Russia, Mr. Yuri Komov.