The Fair Trade Commission on Wednesday searched more than 30 branches of several medical product manufacturers on suspicion that they formed a price cartel for film for hospital X-ray machines.
The companies searched include Fuji Photo Film Co. subsidiary Fuji Film Medical Co. and Konica Medical Inc., a subsidiary of the photo film and camera maker Konica Corp.
The companies are suspected of violating the Antimonopoly Law by conspiring to agree on the price of X-ray film sold to hospitals, sources close to the case said.
The firms also allegedly rigged bids by deciding in advance which companies would win orders.
A Fuji Film Medical official said it cannot comment because the company does not have full details of the allegations and does not understand why it is under suspicion.
A Konica Medical official also declined to comment except to say that the company, which has previously been excluded from bids on suspicion of violating the Antimonopoly Law, believes it has since abided by the law.
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