The Tokyo District Court sentenced a former vice president of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) to a suspended one-year prison term Friday for accepting bribes from the nation's main dental lobby while serving on a government advisory panel.
The court also ordered Katsutoshi Kato, 60, to pay back about 1.46 million yen -- the amount he received in bribes in the form of cash, goods and services from executives of the Japan Dental Association between 2001 and 2003.
It is the first ruling against an individual suspected of taking bribes in a series of cases involving the dental association. Prosecutors had demanded a one-year prison sentence and 1.46 million yen in fines.
Presiding Judge Kazuyuki Okuma said in handing down his ruling that Kato apparently took advantage of his position as a member of the Central Social Insurance Medical Council in taking the bribes.
Kato received about 1.46 million yen in cash, services and goods from executives of the association, including former association Chairman Sadao Usuda, 73, from April 2001 to October 2003. A member of the Central Social Insurance Medical Council at the time, Kato was asked to help increase dental service fees, the court said.