A Foreign Ministry official convicted of misuse of government funds has lost his job after his guilty verdict was finalized, sources said Thursday.
Masaru Sato, 49, former intelligence analyst and Russian affairs expert, received a suspended prison term for misusing funds and interfering in bidding for an aid project for Russia under the influence of Lower House member Muneo Suzuki, who has been convicted of bribery.
The Supreme Court rejected his appeal against the conviction, and Sato, now a best-selling writer, did not protest the decision by the Monday deadline, the sources said.