OREANDA-NEWS. December 19, 2008. The Tuymen branch of the "Moscow Bank of Reconstruction and Development" JSCB submitted a petition to the Tyumen Regional Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service on competition-restrictive agreements between market participants. As the financial institution voluntarily reported the violation and admitted its fault, it is relieved from the administrative liability, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

The bank concluded the cooperation agreements with the following car dealers: "Transit Avto" Ltd., "D&M Tyumen" Ltd., "Tyumen-Avto" Holding Company" Ltd., "Yug-Avto" Ltd., "Premiera" Ltd., "Sibirenergiresurs" Ltd., "Avto Grad" Ltd. and a self-employed entrepreneur R.Alagulov. The agreements specified an exhaustive list of insurance companies, where the clients of insurance companies, who buy cars under the Auto Loan programmes, must register the vehicles.

Including the list in the agreements prevents entry of other organizations to the market of insurance services, which contravenes the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition".

The bank discovered unlawful agreements in course of an internal audit. The bank sent additional agreements, from which the list of insurance companies was excluded, to all car dealers.

The owners of the car dealerships admitted their fault during the case investigation. On 9th December 2008, the case was closed due to voluntary elimination of the violation of lack of adverse consequences. All parties to the proceedings were issued determinations on prohibition of actions that can prevent competition or result in restricting or eliminating competition.

In accordance with the administrative leniency programme, the Tuymen branch of the "Moscow Bank of Reconstruction and Development" JSCB was relieved from the sanctions. The car dealers did not petition on unlawful agreement before the case had been initiated so the companies will be fined according to the law.

Under Article 14.32 of the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Violations, officials can be fined 17000 - 25000 Rubles and legal entities - from one hundredth to fifteen hundredth of the proceeds gained by the violator from the offered services.