OREANDA-NEWS. February 21, 2014. The Federal Arbitration Court of the Moscow District confirmed legitimacy of the fine imposed by the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) upon “Velikie Luki Meat Plant” OJSC for bid-rigging at an auction for supplying food products for the needs of the Ministry of Defence, the Federal Guard Service and the Ministry of Interior in 2009. The Court dismissed a cassation appeal of “Velikie Luki Meat Plant” OJSC and upheld the rulings of the Courts of First and Second Instances.

Earlier Courts pronounced legitimacy of the fines imposed upon other cartel participants – “Kamyshinskie Kolbasy Solovieva” Ltd., “IKMA” OJSC and “Dubki” Meat Plant” Ltd.

Other cartel members – “Syrievie Resursy” CJSC, “Dubki” Meat Integrated Plant” Ltd., “Serpukhov Meat Processing Plant” Ltd., “Garchinsky” Meat Plant” Ltd. and “Povolzhie Trading House” Ltd. – did not challenge a determination of the antimonopoly body on imposing fines.

In April 2012, FAS found that bidders at an open auction for supplying food products for the needs of the Ministry of Defence, the Federal Guard Service and the Ministry of Interior in 2009 participated in a cartel to allocate lots and support auction prices at the highest level (violating Clause 2 Part 1 Article 11 of the “Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”).

“All cartel participants were fined over 34.5 million RUB”, said the Head of FAS Anti-Cartel Department, Andrey Tenischev. “The Court ruling clearly indicates that lately positive judicial practice on bid-rigging cases began to form”.