The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has warned public agencies not to encourage businesses to coordinate bids for tenders, saying an investigation showed government departments had “contemplated cooperation” by competitors.
In a major blow to the competition regulator’s high-profile price-fixing case over ANZ’s $2.5 billion capital raising, prosecutors have dropped all charges against the bank and its group treasurer, Rick Moscati.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is calling for the power to mandate ‘choice screens’ in mobile devices to provide Australian consumers with a wider variety of online search engine options, as part of the regulator’s ongoing efforts to mitigate Google’s search dominance.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has flagged preliminary competition concerns about a proposed merger of two of the largest suppliers of mobile container handling equipment, saying the tie-up could leave customers without a proven alternative supplier at shipping terminals.
BlueScope Steel general manager Jason Ellis was not an honest witness and did not express genuine regret when he apologised for obstructing an ACCC investigation, a court hearing the regulator’s price-fixing case was told Tuesday.
The former export manager of pharmaceutical ingredient company Alkaloids of Australia has pleaded guilty to three counts of price-fixing, the first ever guilty plea by an individual to criminal cartel conduct.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has launched civil penalty proceedings against two Sydney roof tiling businesses and their sole directors, claiming they engaged in bid rigging for construction at the University of Sydney.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has won an injunction to stop Virtus from completing the purchase of rival Adora Fertility until a court has ruled on the competition regulator’s challenge to the acquisition.
Mobility equipment provider Country Care has taken a law firm to court claiming it gave negligent advice and was responsible for an ACCC price-fixing investigation and subsequent criminal cartel charges.
Agricultural equipment supplier Agrison has been ordered to pay a $220,000 pecuniary penalty after admitting to misleading its customers about the terms of its tractor warranties.