Country Care wins Federal Court cartel case against ACCC

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission alleged Country Care Group - Mildura-based with outlets in Bendigo and Echuca - engaged in cartel conduct in attempting to fix prices of rehabilitation and aged care products including beds, wheelchairs and walking frames.

Company founder Rob Hogan also had charges dropped.

The case was also the first criminal cartel prosecution of an individual and a wholly Australian company.

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After a trial that began in March, jurors on Wednesday dismissed all charges.

Mr Hogan said the result was a resounding victory but took aim at the prosecution, claiming a witness against him was a "disgruntled individual who had a grudge against me".

The case has been a long-running one. Mr Hogan and his company were ordered to stand trial in 2018 and a trial was first listed in 2019 before being pushed back multiple times.

Mr Hogan called on the ACCC and investigators to be held to account for "failures" throughout the process, saying defence lawyers had uncovered significant untruths in witness statements which had been in the possession of prosecutors for years.

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"It is a disgrace, but for us it's finally time to move on," he said.

In a statement, the ACCC said it respected "the process and the verdicts".

""We will remain vigilant and take enforcement action, as appropriate, in relation to anti-competitive behaviour during tendering for the supply of goods and services," commission chairman Rod Sims said.

- with AAP

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