Japan unexpectedly grants ex-Nissan boss bail after months behind bars
Former Nissan head Carlos Ghosn has been granted bail by a court in Japan after more than three months in detention over accusations of financial misconduct, according to the ex-chairman’s lawyer.
According to the ruling issued by Tokyo district court, Ghosn will be released in the near future on bail of a billion of yen (nearly $9 million). The release on bail was granted on condition that the accused doesn’t flee Japan or try to destroy evidence. Prosecutors reportedly appealed the bail decision.
The court, which had previously explained Ghosn’s lengthy detention by flight risk and probable attempts to tamper with evidence, twice rejected bail appeals. The attorneys reportedly suggested that the defendant could wear an ankle tag and hire guards to monitor his movements, while Ghosn pledged not to leave the country.
Earlier this week, Ghosn’s attorneys said they submitted a report to the United Nations over violations of their defendant’s fundamental rights.
The ex-chairman of Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance, the world’s largest car-making group, was arrested on November 19. Japanese authorities charged Ghosn with under-reporting his compensation of millions of dollars for years, as well as transferring personal investment losses to the carmaker. Ghosn has denied the charges. The former executive faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Shortly after the arrest, Ghosn was ousted from his executive positions in Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi Motors. His arrest and subsequent removal as chairman dragged down the shares of the alliance, which reportedly produces one in every nine cars sold worldwide and employs around 450,000 people.
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