煙草在線據《煙業通訊》報道編譯　　據英國《電訊報》的一篇報道稱，在加拉赫被指控卷入定價壟斷的訴訟案后，日煙國際可能請求英國公平交易辦公室（OFT）退還對加拉赫煙草公司征收逇5030萬英鎊的罰款。

　　在2010年，許多煙草公司和零售商因“不法行為”和抬高卷煙價格被英國公平交易辦公室處以總計2.25億英鎊的罰款。

　　加拉赫在2007年被日煙國際收購，它是被指控的公司中選擇支付罰款避免花費巨大且冗長的法律程序的幾個公司之一。

　　但是，英美煙草、阿斯達公司及高品集團等6家被指控的公司則選擇對罰款提出上訴。

　　在去年英國公平交易辦公室對這6家公司的裁決被競爭上訴法院撤銷后，這項挑戰取得了成功。

　　今年早些時候，盡管沒有對裁決本身提出上訴，周邊便利店的一家連鎖店Martin McColl也從英國公平交易辦公室獲得了260萬英鎊的退款，據說日煙國際正在認真考慮目前的情況。

UK: JTI Could Seek Refund of ￡50 Million Gallaher Price-fixing Fine

　　Japan Tobacco International is expected to ask the UK's Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to refund a ￡50.3 million fine imposed on Gallaher following allegations that it was involved in a price-fixing cartel, according to an Electronic Telegraph story.

　　In 2010, the OFT fined a number of tobacco companies and retailers a total of ￡225 million for 'unlawful practices' and inflating the prices of cigarettes.

　　Gallaher, which was bought by JTI in 2007, was among several of the accused companies that chose to pay the fines to avoid a costly and lengthy legal process.

　　But six of the companies, including Imperial Tobacco, Asda, and the Co-operative Group, chose to appeal against the penalty.

　　This challenge was successful when, last year, the OFT's ruling against the six companies was quashed by the Competition Appeal Tribunal.

　　Earlier this year, Martin McColl, a chain of neighbourhood convenience stores, secured a ￡2.6 million refund from the OFT, despite not having appealed against the ruling itself, and JTI is said to be considering the situation carefully. Enditem