Prosecutors
halted an investigation of three top executives of the Hungarian operation of
Japanese carmaker Suzuki after determining there was no evidence of any crimes,
the state-run news agency MTI said on Tuesday, according to a report relayed by
Associated Press.
"No crime was committed and the case was closed,” Antal Csevar, a defence
lawyer for the executives, told MTI.
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AP said that an anonymous letter sent to police headquarters in Komarom-Esztergom
county in December 1999, alleged that Suzuki executives had been involved in
embezzlement and triggered the probe.
Police entered the Hungarian Magyar Suzuki factory in Esztergom, 40 kilometres
(20 miles) northwest of Budapest, handcuffed a Japanese and two Hungarian executives
and took them into custody in March last year, AP added.
Company executives protested the move and denied allegations that the trio
embezzled 20 million forints ($US77,000) while improperly documenting the sale
of used company cars. After some time in custody, the accused were released
in April though the investigation continued.
The Japanese executive has since returned to Japan and retired.
Suzuki has been in Hungary since 1991 and employs 1,500 people. Its plant produces
the Swift, a Subaru-badged Swift derivative and the Wagon R.
