A Japanese court has granted bail to Carlos Ghosn, the former chairman of Nissan who is accused of financial misconduct, after more than three months in detention.
The ex-chairman of Nissan, Mitsubishi and France’s Renault has been in custody at a detention centre in the Japanese capital since his arrest in November 2018. Ghosn is charged with under-reporting his compensation at Nissan for nearly a decade until 2018, as well as charges of aggravated breach of trust. Though Ghosn has strongly denied wrongdoing.
Related: Carlos Ghosn Denies Accusations in His First Appearance Against the Court
The surprise decision came a day after Ghosn’s newly appointed legal team, led by lawyer Junichiro Hironaka, told reporters he filed a “convincing” application for bail that contained fresh elements.
Hironaka, who has a reputation for securing acquittals for high-profile clients in a country where almost all court cases end in conviction, offered greater surveillance of Ghosn and a limit on his electronic communications to win bail.
Related: Ex Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn Faces 2 More Charges
The court has previously said Ghosn’s continued detention was justified because he posed a flight risk and might try to tamper with evidence.
Japanese prosecutors have defended his detention while they investigate three charges of financial misconduct, two involving alleged under-reporting of his salary and a third over a complex scheme in which Ghosn allegedly sought to transfer his losses to Nissan’s books.
A 3d animation professional with over 20 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations & production facilities of Pakistan, an avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver writings to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
