A former head of Ireland's Citroen Dealers Association has been given a three month suspended jail sentence for being involved in a price-fixing cartel.

Jack Doran, a director of Ravensdale Trading which trades as Jack Doran Motors, pleaded guilty at Trim Circuit Court and his company was fined 20,000 euros.

The charge said that between 1999 and 2002 he and his company entered into an agreement aimed at restricting or distortion competition in motor retailing in Leinster by directly or indirectly fixing the selling price of Citroen vehicles.

Penalties

Ireland's Competition Authority had been investigating price-fixing in the entire motor car market, not just Citroen cars.

It discovered the Citroen Dealers Association agreed the price of new cars as well as delivery charges, and there were financial penalties if the agreement was breached.

Doran was president at the time and was well aware of the practice, the court was told.