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Colombia: SIC nabs companies over office supply bid rigging

By  |  February 26, 2018

Colombian market regulator the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce (SIC) formulated a statement of objections against Inversiones y Suministros and Comercializadora Ferlag over alleged restrictive practices detected during the selection and execution processes in at least 5 Price Framework Agreements for stationery products and office supplies, among others,

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    After a series of complaints filed by private sector watchdog Colombia Compra Eficiente, and according to the evidence collected, César Fernando Laguna Vargas was identified as the secret controller of both Comercializadora Ferlag and Inversiones y Suministros LM. The aforementioned companies pretended to be competitors when in reality they were nothing of the sort.

    César Fernando Laguna Vargas is the legal representative of Comercializadora Ferlag while his sister, Gloria Astrid Laguna Vargas, serves as general manager of Inversiones y Suministros LM, although that was never revealed in the mercantile registry. In addition, the companies share employees, and emails were found that show that Laguna Vargas determined the participation of each of the companies in different state bidding processes, as well as setting the terms and conditions for their participation.

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