Tokyo court rejects bail application by former Nissan chief Ghosn



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The decision was expected because the court had previously ruled it a risk of leakage that could potentially alter evidence. Even Ghosn's lawyer said his client would likely remain in jail until his trial.

But since his unannounced arrest on November 19, following charges of financial misconduct, the Ghosn affair has been a roller coaster that has kept Japan and the business world caught at trap.

The automaker has publicly pledged to stay in Japan and to wear, if necessary, an electronic tag, seems to have left the Tokyo District Court unshakeable.

In a public statement on Monday, Ghosn outlined a series of measures that he hoped would convince the court that he was not about to flee Japan.

He promised to hand over his three pbadports, to wear an electronic identification device and to increase the amount of the security offered.

Ghosn also promised to use security agents licensed by prosecutors to monitor him and said he would not contact anyone who would be involved in the case.

"As the court reviews my bail application, I want to point out that I will be residing in Japan and that I will comply with all bail conditions deemed necessary by the court," Ghosn said in a statement. a statement issued by its US representatives.

He has vowed to attend any subsequent trial "not only because I am legally bound to do so, but also because I am eager to finally be able to defend myself".

"I am not guilty of the charges against me and I am eager to defend my reputation in the courtroom," the statement said.

However, an official of the Japanese Ministry of Justice told AFP: "There is no system in Japan allowing an accused in a criminal case to be released with such a bracelet. "

"The court sets the amount of the deposit and can also add appropriate conditions, such as limitations as to the place of stay of the accused," added the official.

& # 39; Difficult conditions

Ghosn was technically on remand after being slapped by three separate charges, which he denies all.

Prosecutors estimate that he has underreported his income in official statements to shareholders between 2010 and 2015 at about five billion yen ($ 46 million), ostensibly for the purpose. avoid overpayment charges.

A second, but very similar, charge is that he continued to do so between 2015 and 2018, underreporting his income by an additional four billion yen.

He also faces a complex charge of attempting to transfer losses related to personal investments in Nissan's books and transferring funds from the company to a Saudi contact who allegedly provided a guarantee for him.

Since his arrest, he has been seen in public only once, during a dramatic appearance in court, where the much thinner executive has pleaded his innocence in court. crowded.

His wife Carole appealed to Human Rights Watch, saying that he is currently being held in "hard" conditions and subjected to interrogations day and night to obtain confessions.

"New sustainable leadership"

The arrest of Ghosn challenged the future of the self-alliance he forged, which was under pressure in his absence.

After the arrest, Nissan immediately removed him from his post as president, along with Mitsubishi Motors, the other Japanese group involved in the tripartite alliance with Renault.

The French firm is expected to meet later this week to discuss Ghosn's resignation as president and CEO. French government officials have already urged the company's board of directors to choose a "new sustainable leadership".

On Sunday night, Nissan held the inaugural meeting of a special committee to improve governance following the scandal.

Seiichiro Nishioka, chairman of the committee, said the problem was "excessive concentration of authority in the hands of one person".

The committee should meet three or four times before publishing its final report at the end of March.

The French Minister of Economy, Bruno Le Maire, Sunday denied any rumor of a possible merger between Renault and Nissan, despite information in the Japanese media that Paris claimed this result.

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