TOKYO: Hino Motors Ltd. on Friday announced the resignation of four executives over an engine data falsification scandal, and released measures to prevent similar misconduct.

The company will also implement a 50 pct pay cut for six months from this month for President Satoshi Ogiso, who will stay on, and 30 pct or 20 pct cuts for three months for other executives.

As the misconduct dates back around 20 years, the company will ask former presidents who were in office in 2003 or later to voluntarily return part of their remunerations at the time.

“We take our management responsibility seriously and feel very apologetic,” Ogiso told a press conference in Tokyo on Friday evening. “We’ll press ahead with reform to be reborn as a company that will never commit misconduct again,” he stressed.

Earlier in the day, Ogiso visited the transport ministry and submitted a report on the matter, including preventative measures, to transport minister Tetsuo Saito.

The minister urged the company chief to lead efforts to create a new corporate culture and change the company to a one that contributes to society.

The four Hino officials who resigned on Friday were senior managing officers. The company apparently sacked them to clarify the management’s responsibility.

Hailing from Toyota Motor Corp., the parent of Hino, Ogiso assumed the post of president in June 2021. Of the five former Hino presidents who will be asked to return part of their past compensation, four were also from Toyota.

The preventative measures included in the Hino report are focused on reforming management, corporate culture and automotive production.

Hino has been found to have repeatedly falsified emissions and fuel economy data for a wide range of engines since at least 2003.

On Sept. 9, the ministry issued a correction order to the company, the first such action under the current road transport vehicle law, demanding the company report preventative measures within a month.

JIJI Press