From Birmingham Post

German prosecutors have identified U.S. automotive supplier Lear Corp. as one of the companies under investigation for suspected bribery of German carmakers to win business.

Munich prosecutors are checking whether Lear had paid a six-digit dollar sum to a former BMW purchasing manager to get a contract from the premium carmaker, Munich Prosecutor Anton Winkler said.

The former BMW manager is in investigative custody.

"We are investigating Lear in connection with possible bribe payments in the auto industry," said Winkler. Winkler said prosecutors had searched Lear offices in Germany last November as part of the inquiry.

Lear, based in Southfield, MI, was not commenting yesterday.

A BMW spokesman said last week that the manager in question and another suspect in the case had long ago stopped working for the company.

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