OREANDA-NEWS. October 07, 2013. The Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service in the Leningrad Region (Leningrad OFAS Russia) fined “Lenenergo” OJSC over 73 million RUB. It is already the 15th fine for the company in 2013.

A new case against the network organization was opened upon an initiative of Leningrad OFAS Russia, to which 42 petitions of the residents of Tosna, Lomonosov, Gatchina, Luga, Priozerie, Vyborg, Kirov, Volosov, Vsevolozhsk and Kengisepp Districts of the Leningrad Region were added due to similar circumstances. According to the petitions of the residents, contracts for technological connection to electric power networks between residents and the network organization were concluded in 2009 - 2011.

Leningrad OFAS Russia established that as a result of omissions and system-wide violations, undertaken contractual obligations and the norms of the law, “Lenenergo” OJSC was abusing market dominance in breach of Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”. Leningrad OFAS Russia issued a determination to the network organization to eliminate the violations. Under Article 14.31 of the Code of the Russian Federation on Antimonopoly Violations, FAS imposed and administrative fine upon “Lenenergo” OJSC – 73,951,087 RUB.

“Nearly 74 million RUB is a very large fine. Our Office has never imposed such a large fine upon any economic entity. However, such violations of the antimonopoly law as abusing dominance in the market in the state of natural monopoly cannot remain unpunished. Especially if it is a recidivist violation”, emphasized the Head of Leningrad OFAS Russia, Vadim Vladimirov.