Victory Supermarket Chain Denies Price Fixing Allegations

The Victory supermarket chain and its CEO, Eyal Ravid, have issued a strong denial of allegations concerning price fixing, calling them "tenditious and recycled claims that hold no shred of truth." In a statement, the company asserted that the claims are a "populist attempt to take things out of context" and influence the court proceedings. They expressed concern that "investigation materials are finding their way to the media before they have even been submitted to the court." Victory stated it would continue to present its defense in court, not in the media, and expressed confidence in being acquitted.

Moshe Gozali, Vice President of Trade at Shastovitz, confirmed that the Competition Authority decided not to file an indictment against him in the Ravid case and closed the file. Regarding WhatsApp messages, Gozali's legal representative stated that the court will soon decide whether to dismiss the indictment outright, expressing belief that it will be canceled.

Uri Levi, CEO of Beit Ha'Shita, stated that his company "does not interfere, and has never interfered, with consumer prices in marketing chains." He noted that the Competition Authority found no fault with Beit Ha'Shita's operations and that the company is prevented from commenting further as the legal proceedings against Ravid are ongoing.

Efraim Teshuba, CEO of Super Barkat, denied the charges against him and any price-fixing claims. He explained that a conversation cited was about legitimate responses to a new tax on single-use items, intended by lawmakers to increase prices and reduce consumption. Teshuba's defense will be presented in court, and he maintains the presumption of innocence.

Strauss stated that the company acted in accordance with competition laws and fully cooperated with the Competition Authority, which chose not to take action against the company.