RiggingBid

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

LDP received 84 million yen in donations from illegal bid winners

Construction firms that were awarded contracts for five projects at U.S. military bases by the Defense Facility Administration Agency (DFAA) in collusive biddings gave the Liberal Democratic Party about 84 million yen in political donations in 2004 alone.

Revealing this fact at the House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting on March 2, Japanese Communist Party representative Sasaki Kensho argued, "Apparently, part of the unfair profits made from the bid riggings were funneled to the LDP." He demanded that the LDP return the money if these companies are indicted on charges of bid rigging.

Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro replied that the LDP would consider returning the money.

Sasaki also demanded that investigations into all DFAA-awarded contracts be carried out, and that the construction firms suspected of having been involved in illegal biddings be excluded from competitive bids scheduled for March for public works projects.

Defense Agency Director General Nukaga Fukushiro said that the agency would take measures to deal with future bids.

A bid-rigging scandal involving the DFAA came to light in January. Already, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office arrested three DFAA officials on suspicion of bid-rigging over air-conditioning projects at the U.S. Iwakuni base, and conducted a criminal investigation into the construction companies involved in this bid.
- Akahata, March 3, 2006

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The Defense Agency on March 3 announced that 178 firms suspected of being involved in the Defense Facility Administration Agency bid-rigging schemes will be excluded from bids for contracts for the remaining FY 2005 projects.
- Akahata, March 4, 2006