Japan court grants US$4.5 million bail to Carlos Ghosn

TOKYO: Former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn looked set to walk out of his Tokyo detention centre after winning bail yesterday to prepare his defence against multiple charges of financial misconduct.

The 65-year- old auto sector titan paid 500 million yen ( US$ 4.5 million) in bail as he faces four charges ranging from concealing part of his salary from shareholders to syphoning off Nissan funds for his personal use.

The court was considering an appeal by prosecutors but Ghosn should emerge from the Kosuge centre in northern Tokyo Thursday barring a last-minute hitch.

According to conditions set by the court, Ghosn cannot leave Japan and is subject to other restrictions to prevent him from attempting to flee or destroy evidence relating to the case.

His lawyer Junichiro Hironaka said that these conditions included restrictions on seeing his wife, who prosecutors suspect has made contact with people involved in the case. Hironaka told reporters Ghosn’s bail conditions included an ‘approval system’ to see his wife Carole.

“If the court approves it, she will be able to meet him,” he said.

Ghosn denies all the charges, with a spokesperson for the executive saying on Monday he would “vigorously defend himself against these baseless accusations and fully expects to be vindicated”.

The spokesperson said Ghosn was being detained “under cruel and unjust conditions, in violation of his human rights, in an effort by prosecutors to coerce a confession from him”. — AFP