Nissan CEO arrested again

Tycoon hit with new accusations of financial wrongdoing

TOKYO: Japanese prosecutors re-arrested former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn

(pic) over fresh allegations, apparently dashing his hopes of early release in the latest twist to a rollercoaster saga.

The case of the oncerevered tycoon, 64, has gripped Japan since he was arrested as he stepped off his private jet at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Nov 19.

He had appeared set for release yesterday after a court surprisingly rejected the prosecutors’ demand to extend his detention for further questioning.

But instead of being granted bail, Ghosn was arrested on suspicion of a separate issue of financial wrongdoing, involving the transfer of 1.85 billion yen (RM69bil) in losses from a swap contract from his own asset management fund to Nissan.

“The accused was responsible for managing Nissan’s overall operations and for dutifully fulfilling his role as chief executive officer not to cause damage to Nissan and its subsidiaries ... but he took action that betrayed his role and caused financial damage to Nissan,” prosecutors alleged.

According to public broadcaster NHK, Ghosn denies the latest claims.

The Franco-Brazilian-Lebanese businessman has already been formally charged with under-reporting his income by tens of millions of dollars over several years and faces a second batch of allegations that this continued for three more years.

On Thursday, a court refused to extend his detention over the second set of allegations, with media reporting that the charges were too similar to the first set.

But this fresh arrest gives prosecutors 48 hours to question him on the new matter.

Under Japanese law, they can then apply for a fresh extension of 10 days, plus a further 10 days, to investigate the new claims.

His right-hand man Greg Kelly, who faces the same initial charge, was not re-arrested yesterday and his lawyer had requested bail, according to a court statement.

Since his stunning arrest last month, the once jet-setting executive has languished in a tiny cell at a detention centre in northern Tokyo, where he has complained about the cold and the rice-based menu.

His lengthy detention – in Japan, suspects can be “re-arrested” several times over different allegations – has sparked criticism.

“The Japanese penal system has been revealed to the wider world. It is not necessarily Japan’s best side and this is not good for business,” Tokyo lawyer Lionel Vincent said. — AFP