More fines imposed for prohibited agreements of construction companies

2016-05-06
On the 4 May 2016, the Office for the Protection of Competition adopted its first instance decision regarding the so-called small construction cartel. In the decision, the Office imposed fines amounting to CZK 278 million on 12 undertakings for 11 infringements of the competition law.

Parties to the proceeding coordinated their bids in a number of public tenders for construction services in South Bohemians Region and Region of Vysočina. The decision has not come into force yet and it can be challenged by appeals to the Chairman of the Office.

The Office had detected the anticompetitive conduct in connection with the same complaint investigation and subsequent dawn-raids that already partially resulted in the decision from February 2016 with fines amounting to CZK 1.66 billion. During conducted dawn raids, the Office found several documents indicating concerted practices of tenderers, e.g. e-mails with feigned budgets for bids, also budgets of competitors were found in computers of rival companies. In some instances substantial resemblance of bids was found indicating that the bids were coordinated by the cartel members. 

Press Unit of the Office
16/041/HS012 – S426/2012                    

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