Long-standing Lower House lawmaker Muneo Suzuki has lost his seat in the Diet following the Supreme Court's refusal to hear his complaint over its recent rejection of his attempt to fight bribery conviction.
With the top court's decision, dated Wednesday and made public Thursday, Suzuki's sentence of a two-year prison term and an ¥11 million fine is subsequently finalized and he is expected to be sent to prison soon.
Suzuki, 62, chairman of the Lower House Committee on Foreign Affairs, is also banned from running for public office for five years after completing his sentence.