The Tokyo District Public Prosecutor¡¯s Office indicted five Japanese oil distributors Friday over their alleged operation of a price cartel for gas oil sold to transport and other companies in Tokyo.
The office acted in response to a criminal complaint filed by the Fair Trade Commission against the five, including East Japan Usami of Tokyo, Eneos Wing of Nagoya, and Enex Fleet of Osaka.
It was the FTC¡¯s first criminal complaint since February 2023, when the antimonopoly watchdog handled a bid-rigging scandal related to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics held in 2021.
The prosecutor¡¯s office decided not to file criminal complaints against individuals, apparently because the cartel had continued for many years.
According to the indictment, officials from the five companies allegedly agreed to raise the selling prices of gas oil and curb price reduction at meetings in Tokyo between October and December 2024.
In September last year, the FTC conducted raids on eight companies including the five. Last month, the commission carried out joint searches with the prosecutor¡¯s office.
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