Japanese ex-farm ministry officials secured jobs in firms accused of bid-rigging

Ex-officials from Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries were found to have secured post-ministry positions in firms facing allegations of being involved in a number of bid-rigging cases, local media reported Wednesday.

According to Kyodo News, former farm ministry officials were found to have landed jobs in government-affiliated companies involved in farmland cleaning projects in areas hit by the quake, tsunami and nuclear disasters in Japan's northeast.

The Japan Fair Trade Commission raided 10 construction firms on Tuesday, with reports stating that at least three of them had hired ex-ministry officials.

Recent probes suggest that a number of government ministries here have been involved in illegal job placement rackets, known locally as "amakudari" (descent from heaven), involving ex-ministers landing top-notch jobs in the same sectors they used to oversee.

A probe was launched two months ago by the education ministry and Cabinet Office into the illegal practice, which unearthed 62 cases carried out by education ministry employees and retired officials.

A government-wide investigation has since been launched to find out how deeply-entrenched the illegal practice is within the public sector and how many other ministry's are involved.

Japan antitrust watchdog is currently looking into whether former government officials found to be working for the companies involved in bid-rigging had any part to play in securing projects ordered by the farm ministry's Tohoku regional administration office, local media said.

The public projects are believed to be connected to treatment works for contaminated soil and building aqueducts in three prefecture in Japan's northeast. Endit