Antimonopoly Service Is Chasing Gazprom

Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service has claimed that Gazprom must return $5.4 million that it received from the federal budget illegally.
Deputy chairman of the antimonopoly service Anatoly Golomolzin stated that a special commission founded at the service in April concluded that Gazprom, Sibur, Gazenergoset and Siburgazservis raised the price for liquefied gas by 76 percent between August and September 2004 without justification.

As a result, the price of liquefied gas increased by 125 percent in the course of the year. An antimonopoly service meeting on November 8 found that to be a violation of Article 5 of the law on competition.

Gazprom did not official comment on the charges yesterday, but said that it will appeal that decision in court.