Toyota supplier Denso says FBI raided U.S. office
2/24/2010DETROIT - Toyota Motor Corp supplier Denso Corp said Wednesday that its U.S. office had been raided by FBI agents as part of an investigation into alleged antitrust violations.
Denso spokeswoman Bridgette Gollinger said the investigation was "absolutely not" related to ongoing recalls by Toyota. Denso supplies accelerator pedals and other components to the automaker.
"We are cooperating with the investigation," Gollinger said.
The FBI raid was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, which said that federal investigators had also searched the Detroit area offices of two other Toyota suppliers, Yazaki and Tokai Rika.
A spokesman for Tokai Rika could not be immediately reached for comment. Yazaki said it would have a statement ready shortly.
The FBI's Detroit office and federal prosecutors did not return calls seeking comment.
News of the investigation came just as Toyota President Akio Toyoda was set to begin closely watched testimony on the automaker's safety crisis before congressional investigators.