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DENSO executive pleads guilty to price-fixing heater control panels

By  |  April 26, 2012

Makoto Hattori, an executive in the Toyota Sales Division at DENSO, has agreed to plead guilty for his role in a price-fixing and bid-rigging conspiracy for heater control panels in automobiles. His role in the conspiracy lasted from July 2005 to July 2008. The conspiracy agreed to allocate the supply of heater control panels based on model, sell the panels at non-competitive prices, and coordinate price adjustments.

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    Hattori has agreed to serve 14 months in U.S. prison and to pay a $20,000 criminal fine. He will also be cooperating with the DOJ in their ongoing investigation into price-fixing and bid-rigging in the automobile parts industry. Eight other individuals and five companies, including DENSO, have already pleaded guilty.

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    Full content: DOJ Press Release

     

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