The Tokyo High Court on Monday upheld the suspended prison sentences of two former Mitsubishi Motors Corp. officials who were convicted in connection with a 2002 wheel-separation accident in Yokohama that killed a woman and injured her two sons.

The court rejected the appeal filed by Hiroshi Murakawa, 62, and Hirotoshi Miki, 60, who had claimed they were innocent of professional negligence resulting in death and injury.

Murakawa, former head of MMC's quality control department, and Miki, former group leader in the department, were both sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, by the Yokohama District Court in December 2007 for neglecting to take action to prevent the accident.

In upholding the lower court decision, presiding Judge Kunio Harada said they "did not (issue a defect) recall and left (the vehicle) in danger of causing an accident even though it was suspected that the strength of the hubs connecting the wheels and axles was poor."