Irregularities were found in 73 procurement contracts, worth 39.1 billion yen, concluded by the Maritime and Air Self-Defense Forces in 1998, the Management and Coordination Agency said in a report released Tuesday.
The agency said competition among suppliers was insufficient, while the results of the bids were "unnatural." The 73 cases in question were among 1,658 procurement contracts examined on a random basis by the agency.
On the same day, Management and Coordination Agency chief Toranosuke Katayama advised Defense Agency Director General Toshitsugu Saito to correct the currently unfair bidding practices and encourage appropriate contract methods by ensuring wider competition among suppliers.