Phnom Penh’s Jet’s Container Night Market shuts down
Ghosn is formally charged by prosecutors
JA PA NESE prosecutors formally charged Carlos Ghosn with financial misconduct for u nder-repor t i ng h i s sa la r y and a lso ser ved a fresh warrant on separate a llegations, local media reported on Monday, meaning the t ycoon will li kely spend Christ mas in a cell.
Former Nissan chairman Ghosn, 64, has been in detention since his November 19 arrest on suspicion of underdeclaring his income by some five billion yen ($44 million) between 2010 and 2015.
Authorities then re-arrested him later on Monday over separate allegations that he also under-reported his income by a further four billion yen over the past three years.
Under Japanese law, suspects can be re-arrested several times for different allegations, allowing prosecutors to question them for prolonged periods – a system that has drawn criticism internationally.
Monday was the final day prosecutors could hold Ghosn and close aide Greg Kelly before either charging or re-arresting them, and a further arrest could allow them another 22 days of questioning.
‘Combative’ frame of mind
In addition to charges against Ghosn, prosecutors also indicted Kelly and Nissan itself as the company submitted the official documents that under-reported the income, according to local media.
Ghosn denies t he charges and is in a “combative” frame of mind, according to sources at Renault, t he company he still formally leads – even if the French car giant has appointed an interim chairman.
The Japanese f irms in t he t h r e e -w a y a l l i a nc e w i t h Renault – Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors – have both sacked the Franco-Lebanese-Brazilian as chairman.
The millionaire auto sector star, who attracted some criticism for a perceived lavish lifestyle, is now alone in a spartan cell in a Tokyo detention centre, in a tiny room measuring just three tatami mats – around five square metres.
He has reportedly told embassy visitors he is being well treated but has complained of the cold, with Monday’s temperature in the Japanese capital hovering around five degrees Celsius.
He spends his time reading books and news reports and is said to be unhappy about the rice-based food.
THE famous Jet’s Container Night Market in centra l Phnom Penh has shut down due to the high cost of the land renta l, company representatives cla im.
Jet’s Container Night Market is t he largest such market in Phnom Penh. It operated for just over t wo years since 2016, wit h a range of 200-300 shops, food and beverage outlets.
Jet’s Container Night Market project manager Chhay Sophorn said due to an expired lease agreement, and the landowner increasing rent, the company decided to shut down.
“Land renta l price can be said to be the main reason. The company cannot continue to operate,” he said.
However, before shutting down, the company noted that some vendors themselves had ceased operations for severa l months due to a shortage of customers.
Dismantling
In the past few days, workers, trucks and cranes could be seen dismantling t he site.
“The company is dismantling the materia ls in the location and moving them to our own land in Vihear Suor [commune in Kandal prov ince’s Khsach Kandal district]. The company plans to develop t he area [ Vihear Suor] into a commercial centre and a most lu xurious place to live,” said Sophorn.
A security guard at Jet’s Container Night Market said the businessman who rented the shops had moved and closed shop about a month ago after the company notified them of the closure.
Beer Market Store manager Ly Ratanak said he had rented a location in Jet’s Container Night Market on a one-year contract, but after operating for about si x months, the company notified him of the closure.
He said before signing t he renta l contract, the company told him they had extended their land lease agreement with the landowner.
“The main reason the company told us to close t he market is due to complaints from the Russian embassy about t he loud noise. This closure cost me a lot of money,” he said.
Ratanak said he recently heard the news that the site would soon be developed into a shopping mall.
According to a source, t he location of t he Jet’s Container Night Market, which is on nearly 2ha, belongs to the Royal Group and was rented by Jet’s Group, headed by t ycoon Srey Chanthan.
The Key Real Estate Co Ltd’s firstquarter report shows t hat price of land in t he area fa lls bet ween $ 3,500 and $ 6,000 per sqm.