KAMCHATKA OFAS RECOGNIZED CARTEL INVOVLING THE REGIONAL HEALTH CARE MINISTRY

The case was investigated in close cooperation with the regional law enforcement bodies.

The Commission of Kamchatka OFAS recognized an anticompetitive agreement between Kamchatka Regional Ministry of Health Care, No.3 Health Clinic in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky” State Budgetary Unitary Enterprise of the Kamchatka region, “Master” Ltd. and “Universal” Ltd. that resulted in restricting competition in the course of buying non-residential real estate for the needs of the medical facility.

Based on the results of criminal intelligence and surveillance operations by the officers of the Department of the Federal Security Service in the Kamchatka region, the Investigation Department of the Investigation Committee of the Russian Federation in the Kamchatka region opened a criminal case against the Kamchatka Regional Ministry of Health Care. Criminal cases are also opened against a lawyer and the founder of the commercial company. They are suspected of committing a crime under Part 4 Article 160 of the Criminal Code (misappropriation, i.e., embezzlement on an especially large scale).

The suspects are detained and as a consequence the authorities are considering imprisonment as a suppression measure.

“Earlier criminal cases in health care were also opened against Health Care Ministers of the Republic of Dagestan, Deputy Minister of the Samara region, as well as a former Head of the Authority of the Republic of Khakassia (sentenced to 9 imprisonment) based on materials forwarded from the competition authority”, reminded Head of FAS Anti-Cartel Department, Andrey Tenishev.

“FAS undertakes systemic efforts on exposing and suppressing cartels, particularly, to execute the National Competition Development Plan in Russia. The number of criminal cases opened against participants of anticompetitive agreements, is growing at an exponential rate – that’s the only way to stop corruption and embezzlement”, emphasized Stats-Secretary, Deputy Head of FAS, Andrey Tsarikovskiy.