Ius Omnibus continues to fight for compensation for consumers harmed by the alleged price coordination between Active Brands and several supermarkets. The action is proceeding independently and relies on its own facts and evidence.
A recent decision by the Competition Court overturned the convictions and fines imposed by the Portuguese Competition Authority (AdC) in the Active Brands/Gestvinus case, which also involves Modelo Continente, Pingo Doce and Auchan.
The decision was primarily based on a procedural issue concerning the emails used as evidence by the AdC. The Court found that there were problems with the way in which those emails had been obtained and used in the proceedings.
This does not mean that the Court concluded that the practices in question did not take place. It means that the convictions could not be upheld because of issues concerning the validity of the evidence.
The AdC proceedings are not yet over. The AdC has already announced that it will appeal the Competition Court’s decision.
For consumers, the most important message is simple: the action for compensation brought by Ius Omnibus is continuing.
This action is independent of the AdC proceedings and will be decided on the basis of its own facts and evidence. The issues identified in the AdC proceedings therefore do not determine the outcome of Ius Omnibus’ action or deprive consumers of the possibility of receiving compensation.
Ius Omnibus remains confident in the merits of its case and will continue working to demonstrate the harm suffered by consumers and secure compensation for them.
The objective remains unchanged: to ensure that consumers harmed by anticompetitive practices receive the compensation to which they are entitled.
In addition to the Active Brands/Gestvinus case, Ius Omnibus is pursuing nine other claims concerning price coordination between Portugal’s major supermarket chains and their suppliers.