New indictment against Nissan ex-chair Ghosn

TOKYO — Japanese prosecutors said Monday they have indicted Nissan’s former chair Carlos Ghosn on fresh breach of trust charges that expand their allegations of financial misconduct outside Japan.

After the indictment, Ghosn’s lawyers filed a request for his release on bail, the Tokyo District Court said. The charges filed Monday are related to payments by a subsidiary of the Japanese automaker that allegedly went to a private investment company controlled by Ghosn.

He says he is innocent of all financial misconduct charges against him. The indictment, Ghosn’s fourth, was expected and it ensures he will remain in detention unless his request for bail is granted.

A decision on the bail request could take days as prosecutors and defence lawyers argue over conditions for his release. The Tokyo District Prosecutors’ Office said in a statement that Ghosn caused $5 million in financial damages to Nissan by siphoning off half of $10 million that he had a Nissan Motor Co. subsidiary transfer to an overseas sales agent for the automaker in 2017 and 2018.

The indictment alleges that Ghosn diverted $2.5 million in July 2017 and another $2.5 million a year later from the sales agent to his private investment company for his personal benefit. Ghosn was released on one billion yen ($11.9 million) bail in early March under strict conditions pending his trial. Prosecutors rearrested him a month later. He is being held at the Tokyo Detention House for questioning.