旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � Panasonic's Parent To Pay U.S. $1.8 Million Page 81 � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴캑 � WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Department of Justice � � announced today that Matsushita Electric Corp. of America (MECA) will pay � � the United States $1.8 million to settle claims that Panasonic � � Communications & Systems Co., an unincorporated division of MECA, � � overcharged the government for the purchase of Panasonic typewriters and � � copiers by failing to disclose certain pricing data in negotiating the � � contracts with the General Services Administration (GSA). Assistant � � Attorney General Stuart M. Gerson, head of the Civil Division, said the � � government alleged that MECA, headquartered in Secaucus, N.J., falsely � � certified that it had provided the federal government with the same � � discounts offered to state governments when in fact it did not and that � � the company failed to offer the government the same price reductions it � � extended to commercial customers for the five contracts. Under the Truth � � in Negotiations Act, Panasonic was required, during the negotiations, to � � provide the government with its most current, accurate, and complete � � data. By depriving the government of this accurate and complete discount � � pricing data, Panasonic obtained an inflated price for its products. The � � settlement was reached after GSA's Office of Inspector General conducted � � an audit and investigation of the matter. � � � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸