The Slovak Antitrust Office (PMÚ) fined Slovak Telekom (ST) for abusing its dominant position on the market through a margin squeeze and restriction of competition when it rented circuits to build virtual private data networks in a tender for an integrated communications platform for Ľudová Banka, running from June to September 2004.
This time, the antitrust authority set the fine at Sk73 million (€2.423 million), PMÚ spokeswoman Alexandra Bernáthová said.
The tender was to supply a virtual private network that enables safe data transfer among private networks through the public telecommunications network. In 2007, the Bratislava Regional Court, to which the Telecommunications Office appealed against the PMÚ´s verdict, turned down a similar decision by the PMÚ. The court arrived at the conclusion that the PMÚ did not act fully in compliance with the law and its verdicts cannot be considered legal due to the lack of evidence and the impossibility of establishing proof.
"Slovak Telekom will thus appeal this verdict within the period set by law," the company stated. SITA
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
