A court in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Friday convicted and meted out jail terms to two French men for their role in the kidnapping of Japanese architect Akira Ojima, who was found dead in Nanterre in 1998.
Jean-Paul Zahm, a 53-year-old anesthetist, was sentenced to 18 years in prison, while former company owner Guy Magnan, 51, was given a 10-year term.
The two cannot appeal the ruling under the law. Two other key suspects in the case -- a 54-year-old French man and Ayuko Umeda, a 37-year-old Japanese woman -- hanged themselves while in custody, in March and August 1998 respectively.
Another Japanese suspect, Yuji Nakamura, 39, was found dead on the banks of a branch of the Marne River in Coulommiers, 50 km east of Paris, in November 1999 after being released on bail.
According to Friday's ruling, Zahm injected an anesthetic into Ojima on the instructions of the 54-year-old French man in a bid to prevent him from fleeing.
Magnan drove the car used to kidnap Ojima, the ruling said.
After Zahm and Magnan left the home where Ojima was confined, the 54-year-old French man is believed to have killed Ojima, and Umeda is thought to have assisted in hiding Ojima's body.
Ojima, 56, was found dead in a suburban house in March 1998 after a search by relatives and police.