A man in his 60s was yesterday returned for trial to the Central Criminal Court on charges relating to alleged price fixing in the motor trade under competition legislation aimed at preventing the operation of cartels.

Denis Manning of Bishopstown, Cork, was served with a book of evidence at Cork District Court yesterday following an investigation initiated by the Competition Authority in 2003 into the prices being charged for Ford cars.

Mr Manning is charged with aiding and abetting the Irish Ford Dealers Association and its members in implementing an agreement aimed at preventing, restricting or distorting competition in the motor trade so as to directly or indirectly fix the selling price of cars.

He is charged with committing one such offence between May 24th, 2001 and June 30th, 2002 contrary to Section 4(1) of the Competition Act, 1991 as amended by Section 2 of the Competition Amendment Act, 1996 and contrary to Section 7(1) of the Criminal Law Act, 1997.

He faces a second charge of committing a similar such offence between July 1st, 2002 and June 30th, 2003 contrary to Section 4(1) and Section 6 of the Competition Act, 2002 and contrary to Section 7 (1) of the Criminal Law Act, 1997.

Judge Con O'Leary remanded Mr Manning on his own bail of €5,000 and returned him for trial to the present sittings of the Central Criminal Court.

In a statement issued after the court case, Pearce Flannery, an Irish Ford Dealers Association spokesman, said the brand the association represents could not have been one of the top three selling brands in the country without the association offering "real value for money" to their customers and unless they were "at all times competitive with regard to prices being offered not only by competing brands but also by fellow Ford dealers".