Japan’s No.3 steelmaker, which supplies the manufacturers of cars, planes and trains across the world, has said about 500 customers had received products with falsified specifications, throwing global supply chains into turmoil.
Outside investigators appointed by Kobe to look into the malpractice have found that senior officials in the company’s copper and aluminium business knew of some of the cheating.
“Based on this information, as of today, we have reassigned these three executives,” the company said, adding it would decide on any punishments after the probe was completed.
The three were senior officials in the company’s aluminium and copper business, where most of the cheating occurred.
Kobe Steel “takes it very seriously that current executive officers were aware of this,” Executive Vice President Naoto Umehara told reporters at a media briefing.
