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09/30/03
 On
September 29, one of the largest parcel tanker shippers in
the world, based in Norway -- and two of its executives --
pled guilty in an antitrust investigation
conducted by the Philadelphia Antitrust Division, staffed
with Department of Justice attorneys and FBI investigators.
What
was the crime?
Participating
in an international cartel to divide up customers, to rig
bids, and to fix prices on contracts to ship chemicals to
and from the United States. What was the plea?
The
company has agreed to pay a $42.5 million fine, and the executives
will serve time in prison. Both executives are Norwegians
who will voluntarily surrender to U.S. custody to serve their
prison terms.
What was the message?
"The
charges and the agreed-upon sentences should send a strong
deterrent message to those who participate in international
cartels that target American businesses and consumers,"
said James M. Griffin, Deputy Attorney General in charge of
the Antitrust Division's Criminal Enforcement Program.
What's
next?
The
investigation is continuing. If you have any information about
anticompetitive conduct in the parcel tanker shipping industry,
please contact Special Agent John Sharp at the Philadelphia
Antitrust Field Office at 215-597-7412.
If you
have any information about price fixing or collusion among
competitors, please call or e-mail Bob Connolly at 215-597-7405
or robert.connolly@usdoj.gov.
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