Construction company CPL Interiors Ltd. was fined $761,967 after pleading guilty before the Ontario Superior Court for its role in a criminal conspiracy to rig bids. The bid-rigging scheme victimized condominium corporations in the Greater Toronto Area.
The company admitted to conspiring with several competing businesses to allocate customers and fix bid prices on 31 refurbishment contracts issued by private condominium corporations between 2009 and 2014.
The value of the contracts totalled more than $19 million. Bid-rigging schemes result in victims paying higher prices for goods and services.
Following a Competition Bureau investigation, criminal charges were laid in March 2021 against CPL Interiors as well as three other companies and their owners. Court proceedings are ongoing against the remaining accused.
CPL Interiors received leniency in sentencing for its full cooperation throughout the Bureau’s investigation and its agreement to testify in any resulting prosecutions.
In addition to price-fixing and bid-rigging agreements, the Competition Act also prohibits agreements between competitors to allocate customers, sales, territories or markets.
Those who have information about a possible violation of the Competition Act are encouraged to contact the Competition Bureau. The Bureau keeps the identity of whistleblowers confidential.
Those who believe they are involved in an illegal agreement with their competitors can come forward to seek immunity or leniency in return for their cooperation with the Bureau’s investigation through its Immunity and Leniency Programs.
