The Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS) has fined three construction firms and one entrepreneur CZK 3.157 million for a cartel agreement. The fine is final, the parties to the agreement agreed to a so-called settlement and did not file an appeal against the decision, according to an announcement today.
The companies aostav, EFIOS, Heryán Rekonstructions and the entrepreneur acted together in the tender for the revitalisation of a panel building in Valašské Meziříčí, which was awarded to the community of unit owners in 2020. They subsequently submitted such coordinated bids to the contracting authority, with the most advantageous bid being submitted by aostav, thereby distorting competition,” the authority said.
In calculating the fines, the authority took into account the value of the contract, which was 11.5 million. The Office imposed the highest fine on aostav because of its leading role in organising the cartel, and it will pay CZK 1.11 million. EFIOS was fined CZK 925,000, as was Heryán Reconstructions. The authority fined the entrepreneur CZK 197,000, with the fine reduced so that it would not be liquidating for him. All the participants in the proceedings met the conditions for the so-called settlement, i.e. they admitted their misconduct and cooperated with the authority, for which their fines were reduced by 20 percent. The parties have waived the possibility to lodge an appeal, so they cannot challenge the decision of the Office in court.
Source: ÚOHS and CTK
