OREANDA-NEWS. December 28, 2010. Moscow Arbitration Court pronounced legitimacy of a more than 500 million Rubles fine imposed upon “Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Moscow” Ltd.

On 23rd December 2010, Moscow Arbitration Court pronounced legitimacy of the decision of the Moscow Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (OFAS Russia) to fine “Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Moscow” Ltd. more than 500 million Rubles for violating the antimonopoly law.

On 22nd September 2009, Moscow OFAS Russia established the fact of “Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Moscow” Ltd. violating Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” (abusing dominance on the market of sale and transportation of natural gas).

The OFAS Commission discovered that “Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Moscow” Ltd. applied additional penalty coefficients for Bakovka Plant” CJSC (the petitioner) consuming gas in excess of the contract volume. “Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Moscow” Ltd. infringed the interests of “Bakovka Plant” CJSC by imposing disadvantageous conditions of gas supply contract and violating the pricing procedures for natural gas established by normative legal acts.

Based on its decision, on 9th December 2010, Moscow OFAS Russia issued a determination to impose a fine upon the violator. The size of the fine is 565,633,894 Rubles.

However, “Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Moscow” Ltd. disagreed with the determination a filed a lawsuit.

“The Moscow Office has been dealing with litigation against “Mosregiongaz” Ltd. the whole year”, said the Head of Moscow OFAS Russia Vladimir Yefimov. “It is very important that the Courts take our side as it will speed up the fine payment and restoration of the rights of the company that suffered from unlawful actions of “Mosregiongaz” Ltd.