ACCC

During another day of cross-examination in a criminal cartel case against ANZ and two investment banks, a key ACCC officer was accused of lying about his interrogation of a key cartel witness, with the officer insisting there was nothing "sinister" in his examination.

Volkswagen has appealed a record $125 million penalty handed down over its emissions cheating scandal by a judge who criticised a $75 million settlement agreement with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission as "manifestly inadequate".

An ACCC investigator has come under fire from ANZ as the bank seeks to shoot holes in the criminal cartel action against it, with counsel for the bank accusing the regulator of "infecting" witness statements and erasing testimony that weakened its case.

A key officer from the ACCC involved in interviewing JPMorgan bankers during a cartel investigation that led to criminal charges against ANZ and two investment banks has denied allegations that he acted improperly during the investigation.

ANZ has won access to documents the bank claims are crucial to its defence in a high stakes criminal cartel case, but the Australian Securities and Investments Commission has flagged a possible appeal of the ruling.

A sideshow evidentiary dispute in a committal hearing in a landmark criminal cartel case against ANZ and two investment banks has drawn to a close, but not before testing the patience of a magistrate, who warned her ruling would be far from a "Rolls Royce decision".

JPMorgan has taken ANZ to task for its "heroic endeavours to create an air of suspicion" around the conduct of ASIC and the ACCC prior to the filing of a landmark criminal cartel case, slamming the allegations as purely speculative.

ANZ is seeking information on whether the ACCC put pressure on ASIC to not pursue proceedings against JP Morgan over a $2.5 billion share placement that is at the centre of a closely watched criminal cartel case, saying the matter raised a "serious question" about potential abuse of power by the regulators.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has found Barro Group's 43 per cent stake in Adelaide Brighton, acquired over a number of years, will not harm competition in the cement market.

Japanese car maker Mazda has replied to an ACCC action alleging it violated the Australian Consumer Law by failing to provide consumers with refunds or no-cost replacements for their allegedly faulty vehicles, saying it was not required to replace dented and scratched cars.