The infrastructure ministry filed criminal complaints with police Monday against architect Hidetsugu Aneha for falsifying quake-proofing data used in structural plans for several condominium complexes and hotels in violation of the Building Standard Law, ministry officials said.

Following the formal accusation, police in Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures and Tokyo are expected to set up a joint investigation to establish a case against Aneha, 48. They may also press charges of fraud and forgery.

The Metropolitan Police Department established its own investigation team Monday of about 70 officers to look into the high-profile case, and plan to question Aneha and officials of companies that had dealings with him.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said the same day that the number of buildings constructed using doctored data from Aneha had risen to 55 in 12 prefectures, up from the previously announced 47 buildings in 11 prefectures.

Ministry officials, in a separate statement, said the ministry will check the seismic resistance of all buildings developed or constructed over the past five years by the three firms involved in the construction of condominiums and hotels that are at risk of collapse in the event of a strong earthquake.

The inspection will be conducted for all such buildings constructed between fiscal 2000 and 2004, even if Aneha was not involved in their construction, the officials said.

The three companies are Kimura Construction Co., Heisei Sekkei, a construction planning company affiliated with Kimura Construction, and Huser Ltd., a developer of condominium complexes, officials said.

The inspection aims to determine whether the recent scandal is linked only to Aneha or whether other architects may have been involved.