Nishimatsu's Takahara handed suspended sentence

Kazuhiko Takahara, the former deputy head of oversees business development at japan's Nishimatsu Construction Company, has been given an 18 month prison sentence, suspended for four years.

The sentence was handed down for embezzlement and his part in a conspiracy to generate and control illicit overseas funds.

According to the court ruling, Mr Takahara brought JPY 70 million (US$ 736500) into Japan between February 2006 and August 2007 in conspiracy with former Nishimatsu president Mikio Kunisawa and others, without reporting it to customs authorities. Last month, Mr Kunisawa was sentenced to 16 months in prison, a ruling he did not appeal.

Court papers also showed that Mr Takahara embezzled JPY 45 million (US$ 473600) in slush funds between November 2005 and August 2007, money which was used to purchase an apartment.

Part of the illicit funds are believed to have been used for political donations. Takanori Okubo, the secretary and chief accountant of the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, Ichiro Ozawa, has been charged with receiving funds from Nishimatsu, but a trial date is yet to be set.