A PYMNTS Company

Czech Republic: Swedish construction companies face fines for long running cartel

By  |  November 11, 2015

Sweden’s Skanska faces the largest of seven fines imposed by the Czech competition watchdog on construction firms accused of acting as a cartel in public sector tenders between 2006 and 2008, the Mlada Fronta Dnes newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The Office for the Protection of Competition last week said it planned to impose a total of $81.11 million in fines on seven firms which it did not identify.

Skanska faces a fine of $25.82 million, the newspaper said, citing documents sent by the competition watchdog to attorneys of the firms.

A Skanska spokesman said the company rejected any suggestion that it had acted inappropriately.

“We reject all such accusations (of a cartel) and don’t know what that would be based on,” said Edvard Lind, head of media relations at Skanska.

The companies can appeal the fines. UOHS said last week it would not comment on the case until it was final.

Full content: Reuters

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.