TOKYO, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Japanese investigators on Wednesday began a probe into a protracted quality-data fabrication scandal by Kobe Steel Ltd. that authorities believe might have violated an unfair competition law, which could result in criminal charges.
By misrepresenting inspection data and providing false information about the strength and durability of its products, authorities believe the firm, Japan's third-largest steelmaker, may be criminally liable and could face criminal charges.
"We deeply apologize for causing great trouble to the people involved" and the company will "sincerely respond to the probe and cooperate with the authorities," Kobe Steel said in a statement.
The scandal-mired steelmaker said in October last year that it had found cases of improprieties regarding inspection data that failed to meet industry inspection standards.
The results of an internal probe initially found that products sold that had their inspection data fabricated were shipped to hundreds of companies.
Japan's quality control authorities subsequently revoked certification for some copper products of a Kobe Steel subsidiary and the Japanese government said it had tasked industrial standards-approved bodies to carry out inspections at Kobe Steel Ltd.'s plants in an effort to deal with the company's wide-reaching falsified inspection data scandal.
Kobe Steel Ltd. had initially admitted to falsifying inspection data on a number of its products, including aluminum, copper, steel powder and special steel products.
It came to light that the embattled steel maker's own investigations had, additionally, revealed cover-ups and more incidents of data falsification thereafter.
Companies ranging from automakers and airplane manufacturers, to defense equipment and Shinkansen bullet train makers, have been affected by the scandal.
Kobe Steel said that its products, with falsified data about their strength and durability, had been sold to around 600 companies.
