SOUTHWICK — It took a whistleblower initiating a lawsuit of his own, but the government has its money back.

A Southwick company that designs and markets broadcast and surveillance cameras has agreed to pay the government more than $2 million to settle an allegation it was not eligible for its pandemic-era loan that was later forgiven.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced details of the settlement Friday afternoon.

Kokusai Denki Electric America, which announced a name change in March from Hitachi Kokusai Electric, obtained a $1.3 million loan in January 2021 under the federal Paycheck Protection Program, which was intended to help small businesses keep employees during the economic turmoil of the pandemic.

It later asked the U.S. Small Business Administration to forgive the loan, whi

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