A Quebec construction contractor has been fined by the Competition Bureau of Canada after pleading guilty to bid-rigging.
Les Entreprises Promécanic Ltée pleaded guilty in Quebec Superior Court to three criminal charges of rigging bids on three calls for tenders issued by general contractors to install ventilation systems.
The Competition Bureau announced Tuesday it has fined the Laval, Que.-based company $425,000.
According to the Bureau, Promécanic admitted that it had secretly participated in the coordination of its bids with competitors to pre-determine the winners of private-sector ventilation contracts for residential highrise buildings in the Montreal area.
The illegal agreements, which took place in 2004 and 2005, also included compensation among the participants to ensure that the contract was awarded to the designated company.
The Bureau laid charges against eight Montreal-area firms last December following an investigation.
The agency's investigation was independent of Operation Hammer, a special squad created by the Quebec government in 2009 to investigate allegations of collusion and corruption in the construction industry.


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