New Delhi: Antitrust Regulator India has accused Amazon.com Inc.
hiding facts and making false submissions when requested approval for investment in 2019 in the upcoming group unit, a letter to the US e-commerce giant seen by Reuters shows.
The letter complicated the Bitter Amazon legal battle with the future group for the decision of the Indian company to sell his retail assets to rely on the industry – a problem now in front of the Indian Supreme Court.
Amazon believes that the provisions agreed upon in the 2019 agreement to pay $ 192 million for 49% of the shares in the future gift voucher unit prevent its parent, future groups, from selling retail businesses in the future.
In a June 4 letter, the Indian Competition Commission (CCI) said the factual aspects of Amazon hid transactions by not disclosing their strategic interests in the future retail when he sought approval for the 2019 agreement.
“The representation and behavior of Amazon before the Commission declared a representation error, made a false statement and oppression or / and concealment of material facts, “said the letter.
Also noted that the review of the submission was requested by complaints from the future group.
In the letter four pages, called ‘showing notifications’, CCI asks Amazon why not take action and punish the company to provide false information.
Amazon has not responded, according to a source with direct knowledge of the problem that refuses to be identified as the letter has not been published.
Amazon said in a statement to Reuters had received a letter, committed to obeying Indian law and would expand its full cooperation with CCI.
“We are sure that we will be able to solve the CCI problem,” he said.
Representatives for the future and CCI did not respond to Reuters’s comment requests.
Vaibhav Choukse, a legal specialist competition and partner at J Sagar Associates, said it rarely happened to CCI to issue such notice and that if CCI was not satisfied with the Amazon response, it could lead to fine and even the review was agreed.
“CCI has a broad power that includes direction to regress the approval application and even revoke the agreement with extraordinary circumstances,” Choukse said.
The 2019 CCI approval order declares its decision “will stand revoked if, anytime, the information provided” was found wrong.
Submission compared with disputes over retail in the future, which has more than 1,500 supermarkets and other outlets, is the most hostile flame point between the Amazon and Reliance Jeff Bezos, which is run by Indian people Mukesh Ambani, when they try to get the superiority of state consumers.
Amazon also has a number of other challenges in India, the main growth market in which he has invested $ 6.5 billion, including a separate CCI probe into the alleged practices that small businesses say they are.
In addition, he faces more prospects than regulations that will limit sales of private labels and will ban companies A.S.
Provide affiliates to the product list on its website.
CCI’s letter compares three amazon delivery sets made for him in 2019 with the delivery conducted later to other legal forums, by saying that they “contradict.” In particular, he said Amazon has explained his interest in investing in future coupon units as one that will overcome the gap in the Indian payment industry.
But the letter stated that Amazon had been disclosed in other legal forums that the foundation of his relationship with future coupons was certain specific rights obtained in the future.
“Amazon has hidden its strategic interest” in the upcoming retail, the letter said, added: “Flowers and combination goals …
not disclosed to commissions despite specific requirements.” CCI also objected to one part of the shipment where Amazon told the regulator it had nothing to do with a certain legal agreement that the two future entities had signed among them a few days before the 2019 agreement.
But Amazon then claimed before the arbitrator that the agreement was ” Integrated part “from the transaction, the letter said.