Japan prosecutors appeal Carlos Ghosn bail decision
March 5, 2019
A Tokyo court has unexpectedly granted bail to Carlos Ghosn, Nissan's former high-flying chairman. Prosecutors have filed an appeal against the decision, potentially delaying Ghosn's release from detention.
Image: Reuters/R. Duvignau
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A court in Japan on Tuesday unexpectedly granted conditional bail to former auto industry titan Carlos Ghosn, who has been charged with falsifying financial reports and breach of trust.
Under his bail terms, Ghosn is banned from leaving the country and must adhere to conditions aimed at preventing him from fleeing or destroying evidence. The bail has been set at one billion yen ($9 million/€7.9 million).
"It was good we proposed concrete ways showing how he would not tamper with evidence or try to flee," Ghosn's newly hired lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka said.
Junichiro Hironaka is nicknamed "the Razor" for his combative style. He is famous for winning acquittals in Japan, where the conviction rate is 99 percent.Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Y. Kurose
Prosecutors appealed the decision and could even file additional allegations against the 64-year-old to keep him from leaving detention.
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Nissan Motor chairman Carlos Ghosn was arrested in November 2018 and subsequently charged with falsifying financial reports and breach of trust. He led a remarkable turnaround at the Japanese automaker, rescuing it from bankruptcy. An investigation continues into whether he under-reported his salary by 5 billion yen (€39 million $44.5 million) over five years from 2011.
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Fall from grace
Ghosn's November arrest shocked the auto industry, and came just five months after he narrowly won a shareholder vote at the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Motors over his €7.4 million annual pay package for 2017. His compensation package was criticized by French President Emmanuel Macron during his stint as economy minister.
Brazilian-born Ghosn helped the carmaker back from the brink of financial ruin 17 years ago and turned it into a global powerhouse, introducing an electric model.
