He said a Federal investigation of the agency and its bidding procedures should be conducted.

The two defendants said they had done nothing wrong and had simply been following longstanding bidding procedures.

Under the bidding procedure set up by the board, final bids were due on Feb. 1.

After a bidding procedure, Italy was chosen as host nation.

"You should ask the executives of the management company what bidding procedure they are using," he said.

Japan eventually agreed to offer preferential bidding procedures for foreign companies on at least 17 public works contracts.

They have also made technical changes, like new bidding procedures, to try to bring costs down.

Bell Atlantic has said that it did nothing wrong in the bidding procedures.

If true, the allegations would show for the second time in less than a year that the agency's bidding procedures are faulty.

The report noted that the Department of Education had already improved its bidding procedures.