COURT CONFIRMED MEDICAL CARTEL ON PURCHASES FOR BUDGETARY INSTITUTIONS

Total amount of company's contracts was 131 million rubles

The arbitration court of the Vologda region confirmed the legality of the decision of the Vologda Regional Office of the FAS Russia on the collusion of the companies INTER-PHARM LLC, M. F. S. PARTNERS LLC and PROFEXPERT LLC at the auction for the supply of medical devices for healthcare institutions.

Earlier, the Vologda RO of the FAS Russia found that companies participating in 42 auctions for the supply of medical devices agreed not to reduce the initial maximum price of contracts. The total amount of their contracts was 131 million rubles.

The court confirmed that the uniform behavior of the defendants at the auction in the presence of stable financial and economic ties between them, together with other evidence, indicates the conclusion and implementation of a competition-limiting agreement.

The case materials of the Vologda Office served as the basis for initiating criminal proceedings against company officials on the fact of concluding an agreement restricting competition.

“The court's support of the Antimonopoly authority's decision once again underlines the legality and professionalism of our decisions. The cartel is not so difficult to identify, it is much more difficult to prove it. In this case, we can be sure that the perpetrators will get the punishment they deserved,” commented Andrey Tenishev, Head of the Anti-Cartel Department of the FAS Russia.