Bulgaria's Commission on Protection of Competition (CPC) has fined three companies which participated in the construction of desulphurization installations at the state-owned thermal power plant Maritsa East 2.

Consortium Idreco-Insigma, Zhejiang Zheda Insigma Group Co., Ltd, and Idreco Invest have been fined with BGN 50 000 each, according to CPC's announcement.

Consortium Idreco-Insigma won the public procuirement contract for building the desulphurisation equipment with financing from EU funds and the European Bank for Development and Reconstruction (EBRD).

French Alstom, however, complained to EU's anti-fraud office Olaf that the consortium had stolen its technology to win the tender

Alstom sued Chinese Insigma in Singapore to pay close to USD 30 M for unauthorized use of the technology.

Bulgaria's CPC has found that Consortium Idreco-Insigma, Zhejiang Zheda Insigma Group Co., Ltd and Idreco Invest have presented false data in their bids for the above mentioned tender.

According to CPC, the skewed information has allowed the opposing parties to gain an unfair advantage which affected the decision of the assignor, at the same time damaging the interests of their competitor.

If the bidders had submitted truthful documents, they would have been removed from the tender process and would not have won the contract, CPC has said.