Martinair cargo executive to plead guilty to price fixing

Martinair cargo executive to plead guilty to price fixing    A former Dutch airline executive has agreed to plead guilty to charges of fixing cargo rates and serve time in jail, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday.
   Frank de Jong, former vice president of cargo sales in Europe for the airline, will also pay a criminal fine for participating in the price fixing conspiracy on international shipments, including to and from the United States.
   So far, 15 airlines and four executives have plead or agreed to plead guilty to colluding to set cargo rates on certain routes. Collectively, the airlines have paid more than $1.6 billion in fines and three executives have been sentenced to jail time.
   Under the plea agreement, which is subject to court approval, de Jong has agreed to serve eight months in jail, pay a $20,000 criminal fine and cooperate with the Department's ongoing investigation.
   “By fixing prices for the shipment of products to and from the United States, this cartel targeted a critical piece of our country's economy,” said Scott D. Hammond, deputy assistant attorney general in charge of the Antitrust Division's Criminal Enforcement Program. “The department remains dedicated to aggressively pursuing those who conspire to cheat American businesses and consumers with price-fixing schemes.”