The Tokyo District Court on Monday gave three former secretaries of former Democratic Party of Japan chief Ichiro Ozawa suspended prison terms for falsifying reports of his political funds management body Rikuzankai.
The case mainly revolves around entries on ¥400 million Rikuzankai borrowed from him in October 2004 to buy a plot of land in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo.
The ruling is a strong blow against Mr. Ozawa, whose trial will start Oct. 6 on a charge of conspiring with his secretaries to falsify the reports. The opposition will fiercely attack him. He should fully explain. But it must be noted that the conviction of his secretaries does not automatically mean that he is guilty, although Monday's ruling can negatively affect his trial.