The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a secretary of former Diet lawmaker Muneo Suzuki against lower court rulings that found the aide guilty of hiding political donations and other charges, court officials said Thursday.
Presiding Justice Kunio Hamada of the Supreme Court's No. 3 Petty Bench upheld the 16-month prison sentence, suspended for three years, handed down to Akira Miyano. Miyano had pleaded not guilty.
It was the first conclusion to be made by the Supreme Court in a series of scandals involving Suzuki, who himself has been on trial.