European Commission punished Czech energy companies for obstruction during investigation

The European Commission has imposed a total of € 2.5 million in fines on Czech energy companies Energetický a průmyslový holding and EP Investment Advisors for obstructing an investigation carried out by Commission officials in the framework of an anti-trust investigation from 24 to 26 November 2009.

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Companies did not block one e-mail account and redirected incoming e-mails. Commission inspectors were investigating a possible breach of EU antitrust rules that prohibit restrictive business practices and abuse of dominant market position.

One of the most important investigative tools are inspections which the Commission uses to detect violations of antitrust laws. Inspectors have the power to inspect and copy documents relating to the business, regardless of the medium on which they are kept. First of all, inspectors usually identify e-mail accounts of key persons in the controlled company and block access to these accounts during inspection. The aim is to prevent the destruction of e-mail content. Commission checks e-mails received during the inspection as well.

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Article source Europa - Official website of the European Union
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