Agriculture, Estonia, Legislation, Markets and Companies
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Friday, 29.03.2024, 14:36
Estonian criminal police search offices of 6 agricultural enterprises
According to the newspaper, the offices of agricultural machinery sellers Baltic Agro Machinery, Agriland, Tatoli and Dotnuva Baltic, among others, were searched.
The companies mentioned are some of the top players in Estonia among agricultural machinery sellers and hold a large portion of the entire Estonian agricultural machinery market. In addition to the company offices, the homes of eight private persons were searched and four people were detained during the procedural acts but were released after giving statements.
The criminal procedure is being carried out by the Competition Authority and led by the North District Prosecutor's Office. The purpose of this is to check the suspicions that companies were involved in competition damaging cooperation by submitting quotes to apply for subsidies from PRIA.
District Prosecutor Denis Tsasovskih explained that entrepreneurs are forbidden from entering into agreements with one another that damage free competition. "Competition damaging cooperation is used to avoid risks connected with regular business activity and modify the market, as well as mislead PRIA, by leaving the impression that the sums presented in the offers correspond with the actual market situation," Tsasovskih added.