Bread cartel ConCourt case withdrawn

10 May 2016 - 12:53 By Roxanne Henderson

The Constitutional Court was expected to hear the matter on Tuesday but the parties withdrew their application last week.They had planned to challenge a Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruling which effectively let Premier Foods off the hook for its role in the 2006 bread cartel‚ by setting aside a declaration that opened it up to lawsuits.Without the declaration the Congress of South African Trade Unions‚ the National Consumer Forum‚ the Children's Resource Centre Trust and other parties that are planning a class action against the bread cartelists‚ cannot sue Premier Foods.Premier Foods‚ which makes Blue Ribbon bread and owns brands such as Snowflake‚ Iwisa and Dove‚ was granted immunity under the Competition Commission's corporate leniency policy in exchange for assisting it in the investigation of the cartel.It argued that the certification declaring that it had acted unlawfully under competition laws should not have been issued against it because it had immunity and the SCA agreed.Lawyer Charles Abrahams‚ for the alleged victims‚ said previously that the application for class action certification‚ currently pending before the Western Cape High Court‚ against the cartelists will continue with or without Premier Foods.Pioneer Foods was fined R195.7-million for its involvement in the cartel while Tiger Brands and Foodcorp negotiated fines of more than R98-million and R45-million respectively.- TMG Digital..

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.