A former head of Japan's defence ministry was sentenced to prison by a Tokyo court today for accepting bribes, a court spokesman said, adding to a string of scandals that have plagued the ministry.
The sentencing follows the sacking of the air force's top general last week for saying Japan was not an aggressor in World War Two, angering China and South Korea where resentment simmers over Tokyo's past military aggression.
Former vice defence minister Takemasa Moriya was sentenced to two years and six months in prison and fined 12.5 million yen ($125,300), a spokesman for the Tokyo District Court said.
The former top bureaucrat at the ministry quickly appealed the ruling.
Mr Moriya, whose cozy ties with a defence contractor fueled a public uproar and stalled lawmakers' debate over a bill to restart a naval mission in Afghanistan last year, had also been suspected of giving false testimony in parliament.
Defence minister Yasukazu Hamada said the ministry would enforce discipline to prevent similar cases from recurring.
"There is concern and mistrust among the public," Mr Hamada told reporters after the ruling. "So we want to restore order and not ignore this ruling but rather see this as a lesson and do our best to gain the public's understanding."
Mr Moriya admitted being treated to hundreds of rounds of golf and other forms of entertainment by the defence contractor but denied under oath in parliament having done favors for the firm.
The scandal came to light after he left the ministry in August last year.
The scandal prompted the defence ministry to hand out wallet-sized plastic cards to its officials spelling out activities that would run foul of ethics rules.
Reuters