Ex-Nissan chief’s desperate pleas fail to sway Japanese court on bail

Advanced Search

The story appears on

Page A10

January 23, 2019

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Ex-Nissan chief’s desperate pleas fail to sway Japanese court on bail

Source: AFP | 00:16 UTC+8 January 23, 2019 |

Print Edition

Carlos Ghosn is likely to remain in Japanese custody for the foreseeable future after a Tokyo court denied him bail yesterday despite a last-ditch personal appeal by the former Nissan boss, as Renault set a date to replace him.

The court’s decision was expected as it had previously judged him to be a flight risk who could potentially tamper with evidence. Even Ghosn’s own lawyer has said his client will likely remain in jail until his trial.

Ever since his arrest out of the blue on November 19 on allegations of financial misconduct, Ghosn’s case has been a roller-coaster ride that has kept Japan and the business world gripped.

In the latest twist French firm Renault said it would hold a board meeting tomorrow to name his replacement to run the company.

Earlier, a public pledge by the auto tycoon to stay in Japan and wear an electronic tag if necessary appears to have left the Tokyo District Court unmoved.

In a public statement on Monday, Ghosn had set out a series of steps he hoped would convince the court he was not about to flee Japan.

He vowed to hand over his three passports, wear an electronic tagging device and increased the amount of bail money offered.

Ghosn also promised to hire security guards approved by prosecutors to monitor him and said he would not contact anyone connected with the case.

“As the court considers my bail application, I want to emphasize that I will reside in Japan and respect any and all bail conditions the court concludes are warranted,” Ghosn said in a statement released by his US-based representatives.

He vowed to attend any subsequent trial “not only because I am legally obligated to do so, but because I am eager to finally have the opportunity to defend myself.”

“I am not guilty of the charges against me and I look forward to defending my reputation in the courtroom,” concluded the statement.

However, an official at the Japanese justice ministry said: “There is no system in Japan in which a person accused in a criminal case can be released with such a tracking bracelet.

“The court sets the bail sum and can also add appropriate conditions such as limitations on where the accused should stay.”

Ghosn was technically in pre-trial detention after being slapped with three separate charges — all of which he denies.

Prosecutors believe he under-declared his income in official statements to shareholders between 2010 and 2015 to the tune of some 5 billion yen (US$46 million) in an apparent attempt to avoid accusations he was overpaid.

A second separate but very similar charge is that he continued to do this between 2015 and 2018, under-reporting his income by a further 4 billion yen.

He also faces a complex charge of seeking to shift personal investment losses onto Nissan’s books.

World

About Us
|
Terms of Use
|
RSS
|
Privacy Policy
|
Contact Us
|
Shanghai Call Center: 962288
|
Tip-off hotline: 52920043

沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
|
互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
|
网络视听许可证：0909346
|
广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
|
增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012

Ex-Nissan chief’s desperate pleas fail to sway Japanese court on bail

Email this to your friend