OREANDA-NEWS. September 06, 2012. The Federal Arbitration Court of the Central District supported the Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service in the Tambov Region (Tambov OFAS Russia) upholding the judgment of Tambov Regional Arbitration Court and the ruling of the 19th Arbitration Appeal Court. The case was initiated against “Okhrana” Federal State Unitary Enterprise, of the Ministry of Interior of the Russian Federation, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

On 29th September 2011, Tambov OFAS Russia found that “Okhrana” Federal State Unitary Enterprise and the Office of Private Security of the Department of the Ministry of Interior of the Russian Federation in the Tambov Region violated Article 16 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”.

OFAS established that that “Okhrana” and the Office of Private Security of the Department of the Ministry of Interior in the Tambov region had exercised concerted actions aimed at expanding the sphere of services offered by “Okhrana” and facilitate its activities. Such actions resulted or could have resulted in preventing, restricting, eliminating competition on the market of services for assembling technical security means in the Tambov region.

Having investigated the case, Tambov OFAS Russia issued a determination to stop competition-restricting concerted actions and to exercise a package of measures aimed at supporting competition on the relevant market.

FAS held “Okhrana” Federal State Unitary Enterprise, its official, and an official of the Office of Private Security of the Department of the Ministry of Interior administratively liable. The legal entity was fined 100,000 Rubles, and officials were fined 30,000 Rubles accordingly.

“We suppressed concerted actions aimed at gaining unreasonable advantages by “Okhrana” Federal State Unitary Enterprise on the competitive market of services for assembling technical security means. It will encourage healthy market competition, which is one of the main objectives of the antimonopoly bodies”, pointed out the Head of Tambov OFAS Russia, Elena Grechishnikova.

Under Part 1 Article 14.32 of the Code on Administrative Violations, when an economic entity concludes an agreement prohibited by the antimonopoly law of the Russian Federation as well as participates in such an agreement, it is punishable by an administrative fine upon company officers – from 20,000 to 50,000 Rubles or disqualification for the period up to three years; upon legal entities – from one hundredth to fifteen hundredths of the income of the violator from selling goods (works, services), on the market where the administrative violation was committed, but no less than 100,000 Rubles, and if the income of the violator from selling goods (works, services), on the market where the administrative violation was committed, exceeds 75% of the total income of the violator from selling all goods (works, services) – from three thousandths to three hundredths of the income of the violator from selling goods (works, services), on the market where the administrative violation was committed, but no less than 100,000 Rubles.