FAS uncovered a cartel for the supply of socially significant products worth 1.9 billion rubles

The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) reported that it had identified a cartel in bidding for the supply of socially important food products to medical and budgetary institutions worth more than 1.9 billion rubles. The auctions took place in Moscow, the Moscow and Kaluga regions, and Vesta LLC and AST Service LLC participated in them.

According to the FAS, the companies “entered into an anti-competitive agreement in order to maintain prices at auction.” In their applications for participation in competitions, they “represented identical supply contracts concluded among themselves, differing only in price.” “This allowed companies to receive the maximum score in the evaluation of applications and subsequently win government contracts with a minimum reduction,” says the press release regulator

During the consideration of the case, one of the defendants sent a guilty plea to the FAS and was released from administrative liability. It is not specified which company we are talking about. FAS added that it will transfer the materials of the antimonopoly case to law enforcement agencies to resolve the issue of initiating a criminal case; the second company faces a turnover fine.

In September FAS excited case against AST Service LLC and Vesta LLC. The service claimed that it had found signs of a cartel organized by them to supply food products to social institutions in Moscow and the Moscow region.

Laura Keffer