The Commerce Commission today refused to comment on whether it has received a complaint that Countdown demanded a $2 million retrospective payment from a supplier as part of its investigation into the supermarket giant.
The competition watchdog was quizzed on the claim as it appeared before MPs in Parliament
this afternoon.
Labour MP Clayton Cosgrove asked commission chief executive Brent Alderton whether he could confirm that "a complaint of a $2 million retrospective payment was made to the commission" and that "once it reached your desk, that complaint effectively vanished because Progressive went to the supplier and basically said it was a big mistake, that they didn't want $2 million?"
Mr Alderton said said it would be inappropriate to comment given the commission's ongoing investigation into allegations made by Mr Cosgrove's colleague Shane Jones that Countdown and its Australian owned parent had bullied suppliers into making such payments.
Similarly, Mr Alderton refused to comment when asked how many complainants who had come forward so far had been threatened by reprisals by Countdown.
