The Tokyo District Court sentenced fund manager Yoshiaki Murakami to two years in prison Thursday for using inside information obtained from Livedoor Co. to trade in shares of Nippon Broadcasting System Inc.
Murakami, 47, whose investment advisory firm MAC Asset Management Inc. profited by some 3 billion yen in the deal, claimed innocence throughout the nine-month trial.
His lawyers filed an appeal, and Murakami was freed on 700 million yen bail Thursday afternoon.