FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                   CIV
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1994                           202 514-2007


                    U.S. SUES 53 JAPANESE CONSTRUCTION
             COMPANIES IN JAPAN FOR CONTRACT BID-RIGGING SCHEME

     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Department of Justice filed suit
against 53 Japanese construction companies in Tokyo District
Court Friday, charging that the companies rigged bids on
contracts at the United States' Atsugi Naval Air Facility from
early 1984 to early 1990.
     Assistant Attorney General Frank W. Hunger, head of the
Civil Division, said the complaint seeking $5.5 million in
damages involves 77 contracts alleging specific evidence of
collusion.  
     The companies named in the suit include some of the largest
public firms in Japan, including Nishimatsu Construction, NEC
Information Technology, a subsidiary of NEC Corp., Toyo
Construction and Maeda Construction.  
     Hunger said a number of other companies that participated in
the massive bid-rigging scheme reached out-of-court settlements
with the United States.
     "The evidence of bid-rigging in this case is strong, and we
are confident the Japanese court will find in our favor," said
Hunger.  "Today's court filing is an important step toward
affirming our commitment to free and fair trade in all nations. 
By filing suit against these companies, we make clear that we
will not turn a blind eye to those who engage in anti-competitive
behavior in contracting with the United States government."
     The complaint alleged that the companies were members of an
organization called the "Atsugi Kensetsu Bukai," which was formed
in 1982 for the purpose of bidding on construction contracts at
the Atsugi base.  The companies, as members of the organization,
conspired to rig bid prices on the projects.  
     The companies named as defendants in the complaint were
members of the Construction, Electrical, Installation and Civil
Engineering divisions of the Atsugi Kensetsu Bukai.  An
investigation conducted by the Naval Criminal Investigative
Service and the Department of Justice revealed that the bid-
rigging was generally conducted at the divisional level.    
     Despite the dissolution of the Atsugi Kensetsu Bukai in
1988, the Construction Division continued to rig bids into 1990,
the complaint said.  In March 1994, the Department of Justice
notified the defendant companies that it was contemplating filing
a suit against them in Japan. 
     The companies named in today's suit include:
1.   ARASAWA KENSETSU
2.   ASANO KOJI          
3.   ATARASHI KOMUSHO    
4.   CHUO KENSETSU       
5.   DAIHO KENSETSU      
6.   DAIKATSU            
7.   DAIWA KOGEI KENSETSU
8.   FUJITA DENSETSU     
9.   FUSO DENKI          
10.  GOYO KENSETSU       
11.  HAGA KENSETSU KOGYO 
12.  HONDA KOGYO         
13.  HOSAKA KENSETSU     
14.  IKEDA KENSETSU      
15.  ISHII DENKI         
16.  KAJIMA DORO         
17.  KAWABATA KENSETSU   
18.  KEIHIN DENSETSU     
19.  KOKA PLANT          
20.  MABUCHI KENSETSU    
21.  MAEDA DORO          
22.  MAEDA KENSETSU KOGYO
23.  MATSUMOTO REKISEI KOGYO  
24.  MEIDENSHA                
25.  MITAKA KOGYOSHO          
26.  MIYUKI-GUMI              
27.  MUNEOKA KENSETSU         
28.  NEC OVERSEAS MARKETING   
29.  NIHON DORO               
30.  NIHON HODO               
31.  NIKKI DORO
32.  NIPPI KOSAN              
33.  NISHIMATSU KENSETSU      
34.  NISSAN KENSETSU          
35.  OONO JUDEN DOBOKU        
36.  SANWA DAIEI DENKI KOGYO  
37.  SEIKI TOKYO KOGYO        
38.  SHIN-NIHON DOBOKU        
     (now MARUBENI KENSETSU)
39.  TAIKEN KOGYO             
40.  TAISEI DORO              
     (now TAISEI ROTEC)
41.  TAKAMATSU-GUMI      
42.  TAKENAKA DOBOKU     
43.  TAKENORI            
44.  TOA DORO KOGYO      
45.  TOHO DENSETSU KOGYO 
46.  TOKYU KENSETSU      
47.  TOYO DORO           
48.  TOYO KENSETSU       
49.  TOYOKO KENSETSU     
50.  TSUKISHIMA KIKAI    
51.  TSUKUSHI DENGYOSHO  
52.  UEKI-GUMI           
53.  YAMAGISHI KENSETSU  
                                   #####
94-530