Courts / Meath / Report
Company director fined €7.5k for price fixing scam that targeted large multinationals
Summary
Brendan Smith, 39, of Greenane, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, pleaded guilty to running a price‑fixing scam that targeted large multinationals such as Google and PayPal. He was fined €7,500 and received a three‑month prison sentence suspended for two years for attempting to impede a prosecution. Smith had entered a bond for good behaviour, with a breach allowing him to serve the suspended term. The company he worked for, Aston Carpets, was fined €10,000. The scam involved an anti‑competitive agreement between July 2012 and April 2013, where Aston Carpets, Flooring and Carpet Centre (Contracts) Ltd tendered higher prices to secure contracts. The scheme was exposed by David Radburn, who revealed the agreement to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. Smith's sentence considered his monthly income of €9,422 and property interests in Dublin and Co Meath.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Company director fined €7.5k for price fixing scam that targeted large multinationals. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- July 2012 Incident
- April 30, 2013 Incident
- May 1 Hearing Or Sentence
- October 2011 Other
- 2017-05-31 Publication
Why: At a sentencing hearing on May 1, Daniel Kenna, of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, explained that the scam was exposed by David Radburn of Carpet Centre. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Brendan Smith (39), of Greenane, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath a three-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, for attempting to impede a prosecution. The company that Smith worked for at the time of the offence, Aston Carpets, was fined €10,000.
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