Three Japanese drug wholesalers indicted over bid-rigging

Japan Times -- Dec 10

Tokyo public prosecutors indicted Alfresa Corp. and two other major Japanese drug wholesalers on Wednesday on charges of rigging bids to supply prescription medicines to an independent administrative body.

Alfresa, Suzuken Co. and Toho Pharmaceutical Co. were charged by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office with unfairly restricting trade in violation of the anti-monopoly law.

The prosecutors’ office also indicted seven officials at the three companies on the same charges. They include former Alfresa executive Nobuyuki Gomi, 62, and Suzuken executive Takeshi Nakahara, 61.

The three firms and seven people are believed to have admitted the charges, sources familiar with the investigation said.

The indictments came after the Fair Trade Commission filed a criminal complaint against the companies and people earlier Wednesday.

Industry leader Mediceo Corp. was involved in the bid-rigging, but the prosecutors’ office did not press charges against the company as it admitted its involvement before the FTC opened an investigation.