TOKYO, July 29 (UPI) -- Japan's automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp. filed a lawsuit against seven former executives, seeking compensation for loses incurred from coverups over recalls.
In the suit before the Tokyo District Court, the company said it was seeking $10 million from the former executives' retirement allowances. The automaker was forced to take legal action as negotiations with the former executives had reached an impasse.
According to the lawsuit, two former chairmen skirted legal obligations by not immediately notifying the Transportation Ministry of recalls.
The company said it lost the trust of customers after a series of recall coverups came to light in 2000.
The lawsuit claims a former company president caused $324 million in financial damage after a spate of recall coverups surfaced in 2004. It says he also failed to conduct a thorough examination of company procedure following the 2000 coverups.
