South Burnett based Alkaloids of Australia plead guilty to criminal cartel charges
A major South Burnett company has pleaded guilty to criminal cartel charges, after the corporate watchdog’s investigation found criminal conduct over the course of nearly 10 years.
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A major South Burnett company has pleaded guilty to serious criminal charges, just weeks after their former export manager did the same.
Alkaloids of Australia Pty Ltd, a company which produces a pharmaceutical ingredient used in antispasmodic medication, pleaded guilty to serious criminal conduct in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, November 16.
A statement from the ACCC said Alkaloids of Australia pleaded guilty to three charges and admitted a further seven offences involving price fixing, bid rigging and market allocation cartel arrangements with other overseas pharmaceutical ingredient suppliers.
It came just weeks after its former export manager, Christopher Kenneth Joyce, pleaded guilty to criminal cartel charges relating to the same conduct.
“Businesses that co-ordinate on prices, markets or bids for tenders should know that they are engaging in illegal cartel conduct. This type of conduct unfairly disadvantages other businesses and drives up prices for consumers,” ACCC Chair Rod Simms said.
“The ACCC is committed to pursuing these challenging investigations to detect and dismantle cartels and refer serious cartel conduct for prosecution.”
The charges relate to an ACCC investigation into the conduct which continued over a period of almost ten years from July 2009, when criminal cartel laws came into force in Australia.
The matter is being prosecuted by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP).
Alkaloids of Australia is a pharmaceutical ingredient company that produces and supplies SNBB, isolated from the Duboisia plant.
SNBB is an active pharmaceutical ingredient in antispasmodic medications taken to relieve stomach pain and bowel cramps. The company is based in Kingaroy and NSW.
Duboisia plants are grown commercially in and around Kingaroy in Queensland for the pharmaceutical industry. SNBB is produced in Australia and the medications are then imported into Australia as a final product.
On 1 December 2020, Alkaloids of Australia and its former export manager, Christopher Joyce were charged with criminal cartel offences under the Competition and Consumer Act, formerly called the Trade Practices Act, following an ACCC investigation.
On 26 October 2021, Christopher Joyce pleaded guilty to three charges, and admitted his guilt in respect of seven further offences, relating to his conduct in respect of cartel arrangements between Alkaloids of Australia and other SNBB suppliers.
Alkaloids of Australia has been committed to the Federal Court of Australia for sentencing, and the matter is next listed for a case management hearing on 25 November 2021.
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