Man stole to keep 17 mistresses

2006-04-26 22:53

Tokyo - A Japanese court sentenced a 56-year-old man to 11 years' jail on Wednesday for embezzling millions to pay for his extravagant lifestyle - which included 17 mistresses.

The Nagoya district court in central Japan also fined Masaaki Matsubayashi 30m yen (about R1.7m) for stealing money from the health insurance scheme of Shikishima Baking Company over several years.

Matsubayashi is a former head of the company's in-house insurance scheme.

Presiding judge Shinichiro Ito said: "Matsubayashi became a slave to his passions and embezzled money as he kept mistresses and wanted to continue a luxurious life.

"There is no room at all to give leniency for the selfish motive."

Matsubayashi was found guilty of pocketing 979m yen from December 2000 to May 2005.

Didn't feel guilty

Along with earlier embezzlements - not included in the charges because of legal technicalities - he is believed to have pocketed 1.9bn yen since 1990.

Matsubayashi said he had not felt guilty about the effect of his actions on the 7 000 members of the insurance scheme as he thought they were "sponsors who put up allowances for my mistresses".

Matsubayashi's wife of 31 years divorced him the day before his July arrest.

His mother told Nippon Television she did not want her son to return home.

"I guess he should be taken care of by his mistresses," she said.

- AFP