Firms write off 6.4 bil. yen in bad loans to gang boss.

Companies affiliated with two major brokerage houses and a medium-sized general contractor have declared losses totaling 6.4 billion yen when they settled their accounts at the end of the 1999 business year to cover loans they extended 11 years ago to the former leader of the Inagawa-kai crime syndicate, it was learned Thursday.

The two brokerage houses, Nomura Securities Co. and Nikko Securities Co., and general contractor Hazama Corp. did not explain the losses at annual stockholders meetings held in Tokyo the same day.

Another medium-sized general contractor, Aoki Corp., extended 5 billion yen in loans to the former crime syndicate leader, but has held on …