The Tokyo District Court sentenced a former chief of the Social Insurance Agency to a suspended 2 1/2-year prison term Thursday for accepting bribes from the nation's main dental lobby while serving on a government advisory panel.

Takeshi Shimomura, 74, was also ordered to pay into state coffers 6.29 million yen -- the total amount of bribes he accepted from the Japan Dental Association -- as prosecutors had demanded. His prison term was suspended for five years.

Shimomura has pleaded guilty to the charge.

Presiding Judge Kazuyuki Okuma said Shimomura "was wined and dined at restaurants by the bribers and received 2 million yen in cash on one occasion. The defendant lacked an awareness of his position, which required fairness and integrity in the performance of his duties, and it can even be said he abused his power as a panel member."

On his reasons for handing down a suspended term, the judge said the defendant had not personally asked for the bribes and his health was deteriorating due to advanced age.

The bribery case involving Shimomura is just one of a series involving the dental association.

According to the court, Shimomura received bribes totaling 6.29 million yen between February 2001 and January 2003 from Sadao Usuda, the former chairman of the dental group, and other association officials.

At the time, Shimomura was a member of the Central Social Insurance Medical Council, an advisory body to the health minister that gives recommendations on medical fees on doctors and dentists.

He purportedly accepted the bribes in return for making favorable comments about the dental group in panel meetings about whether to ease the conditions under which patients can be charged additional initial-visit fees, the court said.

Also convicted for his involvement in the affair was Katsutoshi Kato, a former vice president of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), Japan's largest labor organization.

On Nov. 19, Kato, 60, also a member of the advisory body at the time, was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for three years. He was also ordered to give the state 1.46 million yen -- the total amount of bribes he accepted.

Five people have been indicted for giving bribes. Among them is Usuda, 73, who is now facing trial.