OREANDA-NEWS. June 20, 2012. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) established that 32 suppliers of military uniforms and accessories for the needs of the Ministry of Interior had concluded and taken part in a competition-restricting agreement that had resulted in maintaining maximum prices in course of competitive bidding (in breach of Clause 2 Part 1 Article 11 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”), reported the press-centre of FAS Russia. 

The cartel comprising 32 suppliers of military uniforms and accessories operated during 2010. The subject-matter of the cartel– dividing 39 lots for supplying of military uniforms and accessories for the needs of the Departments of Interior in Smolensk, Vologda, Pskov, Tula and Murmansk regions. The cartel participants acted similarly in course of all biddings: they registered for participating in competitive bidding, and then refused to compete in course of the bidding, as a result of which one of the bidders was able to conclude a government contract at the maximum possible price.

Through implementing the anticompetitive agreement, the income of cartel participants reached over 36 million Rubles.

The case file will be forwarded to the Ministry of Interior in order to consider initiating a criminal case under Article 178 of the Criminal Law of the Russian Federation.

“The cartel ceased being into force in 2011because upon a FAS initiative the norms about open auctions in the electronic form were introduced in the Federal Law “On Procurement of Goods, Works and Services for the State and Municipal Needs”. It denied the participants of the agreement an opportunity to make arrangements about lots division before the bidding begins”, said the Head of FAS Cartel Department, Alexander Kinyov.