Japan: Prosecutors risk creating new criminal case against Ghosn: Asahi

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese prosecutors are likely to launch a new criminal case against the overturned Nissan Nissan (7201.T) President Carlos Ghosn for underestimating his compensation of 3 billion yen ($ 27.0 million) over three years from fiscal 2015, reported Friday the newspaper Asahi.

Ghosn and former Nissan representative Greg Kelly are currently being investigated in a conspiracy case to underestimate Ghosn's pay for about half of the 10 billion yen he had earned at Nissan over the five years since fiscal year 2010.

Overall, Mr Ghosn underestimated his Nissan pay by about 8 billion yen over the last eight years of the fiscal year ending in March, the paper said, without citing any source.

He did not say whether a new case would also apply to Kelly.

Ghosn and Kelly were arrested and fired this week due to allegations of financial misconduct.

A new case would incur Ghosn's responsibility for a new arrest, Asahi said.

The duo still being in detention, neither man was able to defend himself publicly against the charges.

Reuters could not contact them. Motonari Otsuru, a former prosecutor who, according to local media, was hired as a lawyer for Ghosn, was not immediately available to comment.

The Tokyo District Attorney's Office could be reached for comment on Friday, a holiday in Japan. Nissan declined to comment.