Poland’s leading cable operator UPC Polska has been fined by the competition authority UOKiK for providing false information during its acquisition of Aster.
In a statement, the UOKiK says that UPC Polska concealed a document from the authority during an investigation into the deal that confirmed “concentration would have a significant impact on local markets of particular cities.”
It adds that, “this was contrary to the stance of UPC Polska, which claimed during the pending proceedings that the market of pay-TV is at a national level.”
The UOKiK also emphasises that its waiting time for submitting the report “greatly influenced the length of proceedings concerning the control of concentration”.
The fine amounts to PLN775,000 (€175,466.4) and can be appealed against in the courts.
After an investigation lasting the best part of a year, UPC Polska was given the go-ahead to buy Aster, then Poland’s fourth largest operator, late last year.
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