MOSCOW, October 13 - RAPSI, Natalia Belova. A commercial court held against the antimonopoly service's decision to declare Stroyservice, the Siberian Coal Energy Company (SUEK) and Russian Coal in a price collusion on the power plant coal market on Thursday, the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI) reports from the courtroom.

The Moscow Commercial Court sided with the coal producers on July 29 in their lawsuit to invalidate the watchdog's December 22 decision to deem the companies in breach of competition law. The service appealed the judgment that was upheld on Thursday.

In late 2010, the antimonopoly regulator reported an uncovered price collusion among SUEK, Russian Coal, Stroyservice and other companies. According to the regulator, the companies violated the law three times - by raising the purchase prices, by dividing the market in terms of territory and by entering into a collusion for a municipal coal procurement auction.

The companies argued that the services conclusions defy the facts.