Roadside trees in front of numerous outlets of scandal-hit used car dealership chain Bigmotor were found to have withered unnaturally, local authorities across Japan said Thursday as they began looking into the cases.
The revelations could be another blow to the company, which recently came under fire over allegations that it charged excessive repair fees by intentionally damaging cars and making fraudulent insurance claims.
There is emerging speculation that the company may have perceived the roadside trees as a detriment to their business, possibly by obstructing the visibility of the displayed used cars.