Two Japanese automotive industry executives have agreed to serve prison terms and pay tens of thousands of dollars in fines over a price-fixing conspiracy involving car parts sold in the United States, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
Kazumi Umahashi, a former executive with auto parts maker Mitsuba Corp., based in Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture, will serve 13 months in a U.S. prison and has also agreed to pay a fine of $20,000 (¥2.37 million) after pleading guilty to involvement in a price-fixing cartel, the Justice Department said Monday.
Kosei Tamura, an executive of T.RAD Co., a Tokyo-based machinery maker, agreed to serve about one year in a U.S. prison and pay a $20,000 fine after also pleading guilty, the department said.
Umahashi conspired from 2005 to 2009 on bids, prices and supply allocations for windshield wiper systems and starter motors sold to Honda Motor Co. in the U.S. and elsewhere, the Justice Department said.
Tamura conspired from 2002 to 2010 on bids and prices of radiators sold to Honda in the U.S. and other areas, it added.
In November 2013, Mitsuba pleaded guilty for its involvement in the conspiracy and agreed to pay $135 million in criminal fines, while T.RAD also entered a guilty plea and was ordered to pay a $13.75 million fine.