OREANDA-NEWS. On April 23, 2009 the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) will hear an antimonopoly case against "Marienergosbyt" OJSC. The company violated the antimonopoly legislation by preventing and restricting competition on the market of electric power in the Mari El Republic by unreasonably refusing to sign a contract for buying and selling electric power with "Roskommunenergo" OJSC, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

The case was initiated upon a petition of "Roskommunenergo" OJSC.

To secure its obligations to the consumers, and acting within the current contracts for buying and selling (supplying) electric power, "Roskommunenergo" OJSC applied to "Marienergosbyt" OJSC for entering into a contract for buying and selling (supplying) electric power in accordance with the Regulations on Retail Markets of Electric Power in the Transitional Period of Reforming the Electric Power Industry.

"Marienergosbyt" OJSC refused to sign the contract with "Roskommunenergo" OJSC for providing energy to its customers as an independent energy supplier operating on the retail market.

FAS Russia incriminates "Marienergosbyt" OJSC violations of Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition" by economically and technologically unjustified refusal to sign a contract for the services of electric power transmission.