MOSCOW, September 21 - RAPSI, Alyona Yegorova. The Supreme Court upheld the antimonopoly service's resolution on anti-trust violations in auctioning leases in Moscow region, the court told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI).

The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) said the Forestry Directorate for Moscow Region and Moscow breached the competition law on June 2008. The directorate unlawfully restricted access to forest auctions for would-be participants.

The rights to lease 991 hectares of 69 forest plots (most of which in the best locations to the west of Moscow) were put up for auction at initial prices ranging from 600 rubles ($21) to 1,000 rubles ($35.7) for 1/100 hectare in December 2007 while their market leasing value was $5,000 to $10,000 for such land parcel.

Only few bidders managed to file their applications as they were accepted for several hours only. The auction was suspended, but resumed on March 14, 2008. The sale of most valued lands at unreasonably law prices sparked uproar in mass media.