OREANDA-NEWS. April 24, 2014. The Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service in Moscow (Moscow OFAS Russia) established that “KRISMAR-MM” Ltd. and “RAMASTROI” Ltd. concluded an anticompetitive agreement (cartel) talking part in 9 auctions for improving road traffic conditions in particular transport hubs in Moscow.

The companies entered into an oral agreement that enabled maintaining prices at 9 electronic auctions. As a result, “KRISMAR-MM” Ltd. concluded government contracts totaling 167,183,956.43 RUB, and “RAMASTROI” Ltd. – 14,216,147.99 RUB.

Moscow OFAS Russia established that at the auctions commercial organizations acted in the each other’s interests: exchanged information, and used each other’s infrastructure filing price bids.

The companies made themselves liable to a serious fine because entering into such anticompetitive agreement constitutes a violation of Clause 2 Part 1 Article 11 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” and is punishable by an administrative fine from 10% to 50 % of the auction price.

Earlier Capital Repair Directorate, Moscow Capital Repair Department organized auctions for the rights to conclude contracts for improving road traffic conditions in particular transport hubs at:

- Tagilskaay St, – Amurskaya St., Moscow (road structure)

- Ryazansky Prospect, Moscow (mini alternate route) (road structure)

- Dorozhnaya St. (near 1st Dorozhny Proezd), Moscow (road structure), Moscow Ring Road, 27 km (road structure)

- Aviatorov St. – Rodnikovaya St, Moscow (road structure)

- Projected No. 5396 passway– Brateevskaya St., Okruzhnoi Proezd - Projected No. 890 passway, Shabolovka St. – Serpukhovsky Val, Moscow

- 13А, Kolomenskoe Shosse – 10, Klyuchevaya St., Moscow

- 26, Erevanskaya St. – 3 vl., Erevanskaya St., Moscow

- 10, Zagorievskaya St, Moscow

- “Kolomenskaya” Metro Station” route tram stop on Sudostroitelnaya St. - 6, 8 Stupinsky Proezd, Moscow.

Overall, the auction price reached 1,174,532,767.41 RUB.

“Using each other’s infrastructure by independent subjects of civil trade is possible only through cooperation and consolidation, and such actions take place to achieve the common purpose for all participants. In the case in question the aim was to maintain auction prices”, pointed out Egor Nikolaev, Acting Head of the Department of Moscow OFAS Russia for Antimonopoly Control over Financial and Goods Markets.