Three people were given prison terms Wednesday over a bogus Tokyo land sale in 2017 that targeted home builder Sekisui House Ltd.
In the first ruling related to the case, in which 10 people were indicted, the Tokyo District Court sentenced Masami Haketa, 64, and Koko Akiba, 75, to four years in prison each and Yoshihiro Tokoyoda, 68, to a term of four years and six months. All of them had pleaded guilty.
Among the other seven members of the suspected land scam group, Misao Kaminsukasu, 59, is believed to have been the mastermind. His trial has not yet begun.