Former Nissan Motor Chairman Carlos Ghosn sits inside a car as he leaves his lawyer's office after being released on bail from Tokyo Detention House, in Tokyo, Japan, March 6, 2019. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File PhotoIssei Kato/Reuters
A Tokyo court approved on Friday a request by prosecutors to detain Carlos Ghosn for 10 days for further questioning, rejecting an appeal by the ousted Nissan boss’s lawyer to free him as he fights charges of financial misconduct.
The Tokyo District Court said it had approved the request by prosecutors to detain Mr. Ghosn until April 14. The decision was widely expected after prosecutors arrested Mr. Ghosn for the fourth time at his Tokyo apartment on Thursday.
Prosecutors rearrested Mr. Ghosn on suspicion the former Nissan Motor and Renault SA boss had tried to enrich himself to the tune of US$5-million at Nissan’s expense.
In a statement on Thursday, Mr. Ghosn said he was innocent of the “groundless charges and accusations” against him. The once-feted executive, who has said he is the victim of a boardroom coup, also called the latest arrest an attempt to silence him.
The Ghosn scandal has rocked the global auto industry and strained ties between Nissan and its global alliance partner Renault.
It has also shone a harsh light on Japan’s judicial system.
Thursday’s arrest came 30 days after Mr. Ghosn was released on US$9-million bail from a Tokyo detention centre. Legal experts have characterized the move as rare for someone already released on bail.
Under Japanese law, prosecutors can seek an extension of another 10 days of detention before they must either bring formal charges against suspects or let them go.