— The Business Ethics Committee, an advisory body for the Mitsubishi Motors board of directors, held its eighth meeting today.
At today's meeting, the following two points were received from Mitsubishi Motors:
- The progress of the internal investigation into the causes and chain of events of the past recall problem (report from the team of outside lawyers)
- The implementation of a policy of compliance at domestic dealerships.
In relation to these points, committee members made the following remarks:
Concerning the internal investigation:
- The original purpose of the internal investigation was to clarify the facts mainly concerned with the recall concealment of 2000 and to clarify where the responsibility for the problems that were left unsolved, as well as to consider counter-measures to prevent their future recurrence. However, the progress of the expanded investigation showed that a reinforcement of the investigation was necessary in order to systematize compliance, and so another investigation is required.
- For example, presently they have only had hearings with former executives, but they should have hearings with ordinary staff members, and they should investigate the reasons why the compliance policy that was established in 2000 did not function.
- In relation to the fact that problems were left unsolved they need to clarify in more detail what was the responsibility of the former executives and the roles of those who supported them.
- Not only must they investigate fully the hiding of passenger car recalls and the hub and clutch housing case of the Truck and Bus business, but also the background: corporate culture, company quality and overall constitution.
Furthermore, with regard to the report to be submitted, the Business Ethics Committee has decided to begin selecting a specialist(s) who will be appointed by our committee to ensure that the report will be analyzed from a compliance perspective.
Concerning the implementation of a policy of compliance at domestic dealerships:
- Of course at Mitsubishi Motors but also at dealerships, it is important to thoroughly comply. They must proactively cooperate at systematizing a thorough compliance policy and obeying the various laws that dealerships are faced with, such as recycling laws, personal information regulations and so on.
- As for the goal of expanding a series of standards in dealerships, Mitsubishi Motors must set an example of a thorough image of compliance.
- Dealers for their part handle customers individually. Mitsubishi Motors has to look at things from the customer's point of view and respond to individual problems in detail together with the dealerships.
The ninth meeting of the Business Ethics Committee has been scheduled to be held on December 14.
Noboru Matsuda
Business Ethics Committee Chairman
