Flooring firm in court over price-fixing charges

A FLOORING firm is facing trial following a Garda inquiry into price-fixing for contracts at office buildings including Google’s Dublin HQ.

Aston Carpet and Flooring Ltd and one of its former directors, Brendan Smith, 38, of Greenane, Dunshaughlin, Co. Meath, were served with books of evidence at Dublin District Court yesterday.

Mr Smith and the Charlestown, Co. Mayobased firm face two counts of price-fixing by allegedly implementing an agreement with another company to fix the tendering process for large commercial and industrial contracts. It is alleged the companies would submit similarly priced tenders, taking it in turns to submit the lower bid.

There are also two counts of market-sharing – attempting to carve the market up between them.

The offences are alleged to have occurred on dates between January 1, 2011, and April 30, 2013.

Mr Smith also faces a charge of perverting the course of justice by allegedly telling another businessman to delete emails, knowing they were relevant to the investigation.

The charges, under the Competition Acts, carry maximum sentences of five and ten years respectively, along with the possibility of a fine. However, neither Aston Ltd nor Mr Smith has yet entered a plea to any of the charges.

The DPP directed they should be tried on indictment in the Central Criminal Court.

Books of evidence were served by Det Sergeant Joseph McLoughlin on Mr Smith and Aston company director Alan Crean.

Judge O’Neill sent them forward for trial during the next term of the Central Criminal Court, which commences in October.

There was no objection to Mr Smith remaining on bail set at €500.