January 31, 2006
Shinwa Electronics of South Korea has agreed to pay $1.2 million in settlement of a whistleblower suit that alleged the company falsified inspection records for fire alarms and safety equipment. The equipment was housed at U.S. bases in South Korea.
The suit was the result of a qui tam action brought by a former Shinwa employee who worked as a fire inspection supervisor.
The suit was filed in U.S. District court in Hawaii and is the first brought under the federal False Claims Act against a foreign company for false billings for work on a foreign military base.
The settlement was reported in the January 31, 2006 issue of the Honolulu Star Bulletin.