OREANDA-NEWS. March 15, 2010. Sellers of oil products in Stary Oskol - "Oskolneftesnab" OJSC and "Stary Oskov Neftebaza" Ltd. - paid "turnover fines" (3,654,804 Rubles) to the federal budget for violating the antimonopoly law, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia. 

Earlier the Belgorod OFAS Russia found that "Oskolneftesnab" OJSC and "Stary Oskov Neftebaza" Ltd. violated Article 11 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition" (prohibiting competition restricting agreements or concerted actions between economic entities). The Commission of the antimonopoly body discovered that within the same period "Oskolneftesnab" OJSC and "Stary Oskov Neftebaza" Ltd. on numerous occasions had simultaneously fixed and maintained retail prices for oil products at a service station in Stary Oskov without any objective reasons for such conduct.

The Belgorod OFAS Russia issued determinations on imposing administrative charges upon the companies: "Oskolneftesnab" OJSC was fined 3,623,723 Rubles and "Stary Oskov Neftebaza" Ltd. - 2,849,532 Rubles.

The companies appealed the OFAS Russia's determination. The Courts reduced the fine imposed upon "Oskolneftesnab" OJSC to 805,272 Rubles but confirmed the size of the fine for "Stary Oskov Neftebaza" Ltd.

"The outcome of these cases is very important for the Belgorod OFAS Russia, as we not only were able to prove unlawful concerted actions aimed at fixing and maintaining prices for fuel and lubrication materials, but get substantial punishments for the violators in the form of heavy fines", said Sergey Pertrov, the Head of the Belgorod OFAS Russia.