Regulator indicts Victory, Yochananof CEOs over price fixing

Today, the Israeli Competition Authority issued a first indictment, after investigating food prices, against the Tase: VCTR, Eyal Ravid, Yochaananof, Sons (Tase: Yhnf), owner and CEO Eitan Yochaanof, Elad Harazi and Super Bareket chief executive officer Ephraim Tshuva. The Competition Authority in Israel receives that they have made public statements, as it tried to Rafid and win the cartel arrangements in the food industry, and violations of the food law, due to Rafid's interference with suppliers in consumer prices for other retailers.

Among the suspects who have not taken a decision on issuing an indictment for them are from Willifood and Strauss. Listening sessions related to these allegations have been held and the competing authority examined evidence, in order to make a decision on whether the accusation regulations will be submitted.

Ravid is accused of seven charges, charged with Elad Harazi and Ephraim Tshuva on charges, and Eitan Yochaanof is charged with one charge. The indictment was presented after holding sessions for companies and senior executives.

On the first charge, Ravid is accused of providing public data in which he sought to transfer a message to retailers and suppliers, and to open the door to high prices in the market. He is accused of seeking to reach a cartel arrangement and raise consumer prices with suppliers and retail dealers.

The first indictment depends on a statement on October 27, 2021, when Ravid wrote in a Facebook post: “The difficult days awaiting us, we can say that we are facing a real tsunami from increasing prices.” Moreover, the indictment of Ravid's data was martyred in many media interviews:

On October 27, 2021, he told the Consumer 12 program, “CEO also knows that over the next 14 days, he will receive a new price list of five and seven of his largest suppliers.”

On October 31, 2021, the army told Radio, “There will be a strong price increase” and on the same day that Radio 103FM told “, now if you think that manufacturers will accommodate this, I do not see anyone who can accommodate them, and therefore assume and I think the suppliers will come With an increase in prices, and this time I decided to tell everyone to understand the reason for increasing prices in a month or two.

The accusation regulations 2 and 3 deal with restrictions between Ravid, Victory, Yochaananof and Super Barakat. The arrangement between Victory Wachanov included an agreement, in light of the prevailing market conditions at that time, chains will not retain promotions other than promotional offers that have already decided. The arrangement between Victory and Super Barakat included an agreement between the two parties to maintain the total profit of the parties, after the increase in the purchase tax on the available tools.

According to the indictment, at the end of October 2021, the Executive Vice President of Ravid and Yochananof Harazi agreed in a phone conversation that in light of the market conditions that prevailed at that time – a position there was no change in the shares of the chains market – they were refraining from keeping additional promotions Unlike the seasonal promotions presented.

The accusation regulations are dealt with 4-6 with crimes under the Food Law, which prohibits the retail seller from intervention through an supplier in the prices imposed by another retail seller. According to the indictment, Ravid and Victory interfered with suppliers Dr. Fisher, Schestowitz and Beit Hashita at consumer prices for competitors.

According to this accusation, RAVID enters consumer prices for Dr. Fisher's products to other retailers. At that time, Dr. Fischer sought to raise the price of retailers. Ravid agreed to accept the new price list and increase the price of the consumer, with an agreement with Dr. Fischer's representative that the company will ensure that the consumer prices for its products will also increase in other retailers.

According to the Fifth indictment, Rafid interfered at Schestowitz in retailers in May – August 2021, was sold in Rami Levy and Yochaananof. In this context, Ravid told Schestowitz that Rami Levy was “spoiled” and “destroying” the Schestowitz market by selling at cheap prices. Rafid also stated that Schestowitz should “paralyze”.

Ravid was also accused of interfering in Hashita Beit prices. In October 2021, Ravid enters the consumer price for Beit Hashita products in other retailers. At that time, Beit Hashita sought to increase the prices of its products to retailers. Rafid responded to requests for price increase by saying, among other things: “When Rami raises the prices, I will think about it, when Yochaananof raises the prices, I will also think about it …” When a representative of Beit Hashita asked him to be patient with regard to increasing consumer prices in His rivals, Rafid wrote to him that “if the price is not higher, I will tell you goodbye.” In another letter, he wrote: I hope the price will raise by 20 %, “As long as both terrorists raise,” referring to Rami Levi and Wachanov chains. In addition, the company's managers were accused of violating supervision duties to prevent crimes under the competition and the food law.

Assumption of innocence: Eyal ravid, eitan yochaanof, Elad Harazi and Ephraim Tshuva are suspects in the crimes that are investigated and have not been convicted of any crime, and they have the right to be supposed to be innocent.

It was published by Globes, Israel Business News – En.globes.co.il – on February 19, 2025.

© Copy Publish Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. , 2025.