Withered trees in Bigmotor lots add new trouble to insurance fraud scandal

Withered trees in Bigmotor lots add new trouble to insurance fraud scandal | Insurance Business Asia

Motor & Fleet

Withered trees in Bigmotor lots add new trouble to insurance fraud scandal

Roadside trees were allegedly being viewed by the car dealer as an obstruction to their displayed vehicles

Motor & Fleet

By
Kenneth Araullo

As the hearings looking into Bigmotor’s insurance fraud scandal continue, a recent revelation involving withered trees is looking to pose another bout of troubles for the disgraced car dealer.

Local authorities across Japan said that roadside trees in front of numerous Bigmotor outlets were found to have died unnaturally and have begun looking into the case. The issue was brought up during the car dealer’s conference a few days ago, as speculations emerge that Bigmotor saw the trees as obstructions to the visibility of their displayed vehicles and had them withered on purpose.

According to a report from The Japan Times, a Bigmotor senior official said that there were instances where chemical herbicides were “carelessly” used on weeds, which then affected the street trees. However, the official also said that such practices stopped a decade ago.

Several municipalities have spoken out after this new development emerged. The Sapporo municipal government is planning on conducting soil analysis after consulting the police as three trees in front of two Bigmotor outlets in the area are found to be weakening. Earlier this spring, another tree in front of one of the shops had to be chopped down as it had died and posed a risk to pedestrians.