The Tokyo District Court on Friday sentenced former House of Representatives lawmaker Muneo Suzuki to two years in prison and fined him 11 million yen for accepting bribes, falsifying a political funds report and perjury.
Lawyers for Suzuki, once a senior member of the Liberal Democratic Party, immediately filed an appeal. He was released on 70 million yen bail the same day.
Suzuki, 56, was convicted of conspiring with his policy secretary, Jun Tada, 52, to accept 6 million yen in bribes from construction company Shimada Kensetsu between 1997 and 1998, and 5 million yen in 1998 from timber firm Yamarin. Both companies are based in Hokkaido, from where Suzuki hails.