23rd Apr 2008 07:00
Office of Fair Trading23 April 2008 54/08 22 April 2008 WM MORRISON SUPERMARKETS PLC: AN APOLOGY On 20 September 2007 the OFT issued a press release at the same time as aStatement of Objections against a number of large supermarkets and dairyprocessors. Morrisons was one of the supermarkets included in the Statement of Objections.However, the press release incorrectly suggested that: 1. Morrisons was the subject of a provisional OFT finding of infringement inrelation to milk, cheese and butter over a two year period (2002 and 2003), andthat 2. Morrisons had previously been warned by the OFT against anti-competitivebehaviour. In fact, the OFT has not made any provisional finding of infringement againstMorrisons in relation to the supply of butter and cheese. Nor has Morrisons beenaccused of any price fixing activity after 2002. The only allegation relating toMorrisons relates to liquid milk products in 2002. In addition, the OFT acceptsthat Morrisons had not received a warning from the OFT. The OFT regrets that the press release contained these serious errors, andwishes to apologise sincerely to Morrisons for their publication. The OFT was and is in no position to decide whether there has been a breach ofthe law until it has considered the responses to the Statement of Objections,including those from Morrisons. The press release also contained a quotation from Sean Williams of the OFT. TheOFT wishes to make clear that nothing in Mr Williams' quoted remarks wasintended to suggest that the OFT, or anyone within the OFT, had concluded thatMorrisons was guilty, or would necessarily be found guilty, of price-fixing inrelation to the supply of certain liquid milk products in 2002. The OFT has not,and had not at any earlier stage, reached any such conclusion. Nor has the OFTreached any conclusion that Morrisons acted in a manner which it knew to beanti-competitive. The OFT regrets any misunderstanding arising from the quoted remarks. It wishesto reassure Morrisons that it remains entirely open-minded about its provisionalfindings pending its consideration of representations from Morrisons and thetotality of the evidence. The OFT has agreed to pay Morrisons £100,000 in settlement of the defamationaction brought by Morrisons, and to pay Morrisons' costs in relation to both thejudicial review and defamation actions launched by Morrisons following the pressrelease. The OFT is committed to completing the investigation as soon aspossible. MEDIA enquiries: 020 7211+Corinne Gladstone 8899 Alex Hunter 8900Jonathan Marciano 8898 Nnenna Oleforo 8898Kasia Reardon 8901Out of hours: mobile: 07774 134814 fax messages: 020 7211 8961 Copies of press notices: Ext. 8993 http://www.oft.gov.uk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PUBLIC enquiries: 0845 7224499 [email protected] OFT reports and consumer information leaflets are available free from: OFT, PO Box 366, Hayes UB3 1XB 0870 6060321 [email protected] This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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