Tokyo - Japanese prosecutors indicted
former Nissan Motor Co Chairman Carlos Ghosn on Monday
on a charge of aggravated breach of trust, a Tokyo court said,
bringing a fourth charge against him on the day his detention
period was set to expire.
Ghosn's lawyers filed a request for bail shortly after the
latest indictment, which comes after authorities arrested him on
April 4 for the fourth time, on suspicion he enriched himself by
a total of $5 million at Nissan's expense.
Ghosn, who faces three other charges including understating
his income, has denied all allegations against him and said he
is the victim of a boardroom coup. Nissan on Monday said it had
filed a criminal complaint against the former chairman, saying
it had determined that some of its overseas payments had been
ordered by Ghosn for his personal enrichment.
The payments were "not necessary from a business
standpoint", Nissan said in a statement, adding: "Such
misconduct is completely unacceptable, and Nissan is requesting
appropriately strict penalties."
Prosecutors were due to hold a briefing and Ghosn's lawyers
were also due to speak to reporters on Monday.
Prosecutors had to indict or release Ghosn by Monday under
the terms of his detention.
Before he was re-arrested this month, Ghosn had been out on
$9 million bail for 30 days. He is now being held in the same
Tokyo detention centre where he was detained for 108 days
following his dramatic initial arrest on the tarmac at a Tokyo
airport in November.
OMAN DEALER
The Kyodo news agency has previously reported that the
losses involved the shifting of funds through a dealer in Oman
to the account of a company Ghosn effectively owned. The agency
did not cite any sources.
Sources have previously told Reuters that Nissan partner
Renault SA has alerted French prosecutors after
uncovering suspect payments to a partner in Oman.
Evidence sent to French prosecutors showed that much of the
cash was subsequently channelled to a Lebanese company
controlled by Ghosn associates, the sources said. Ghosn's French
lawyer has denied the allegations.
Ghosn has accused his former Nissan colleagues of
"backstabbing" and conspiring to oust him as chairman of Nissan.
He has described Nissan executives as selfish rivals bent on
derailing a closer alliance between the Japanese automaker and
its top shareholder, Renault.
The case has rocked the global auto industry and also shone
a harsh light on Japan's judicial system, which critics refer to
as "hostage justice" as defendants who deny their charges are
often not granted bail.
Under Japanese law, prosecutors are able to hold suspects
for up to 22 days without charge and interrogate them without
their lawyers present.