OREANDA-NEWS. December 10, 2013. The Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service in the Moscow Region (Moscow OFAS Russia) fined companies involved in bid-rigging at auctions for accommodating non-stationary trading facilities - “Flowers”, “Delicacies”, “Fruits and Vegetables” - 1.5 million RUB in total.

Earlier OFAS established facts of violating Part 1 Article 11 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”: bidders at the auctions for accommodating non-stationary trading facilities concluded an agreement, being competitors and operating on the same market.

The auctions took place in 2011 to allocate the rights for accommodating trading facilities specializing in Flowers”, “Delicacies”, “Fruits and Vegetables” in the Southern Administrative District of Moscow for the next three years.

As a result of collusion, prices increased to several million RUB. Cartel members, however, took turns to refuse concluding contracts for accommodating trading facilities, and all contracts were concluded with the same member of the cartel.

“Upon the fact of collusion, legal entities are held administrative liable and the materials of the antimonopoly case are transferred to the law enforcement bodies to impose sanctions upon officials under Article 178 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation” pointed out the Head of the Department of Moscow OFAS Russia for Control over Compliance of Economic Entities with the Antimonopoly Law, Polina Pashukanis.