Ousted Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn makes his first statement since his arrest
The former head of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance has been detained for more than 50 days by Japanese authorities.
Hey guys! Guess what? Carlos Ghosn -- you know, formerly of Nissan -- isn't guilty. Or at least that's what he said on Monday in his first statement to the public since his arrest by Japanese authorities in 2018 in connection with charges of misreported income. Whether that's true or not is yet to be determined.
The former CEO and head of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance appeared before a Tokyo judge for a hearing during which he issued his statement, the Wall Street Journal reports. This is the first time since he was arrested seven weeks ago that he has been allowed to speak to the court.
The judge will likely explain the official reasons for Ghosn's detention, and attorneys for both the prosecution and defense will be allowed to speak during the court's session. In addition to shining a light on Ghosn's alleged dirty dealings with Nissan, this process also shines a light on Japan's legal system which, at first glance, makes the American legal system look like no more of a hassle than a weekend trip to IKEA.
Under Japanese law, suspects can be detained for nearly a month without being charged. They can be rearrested under different charges without being released. This happened to Ghosn several times.
Only Renault has, at this time, allowed Ghosn to keep his position as CEO. Both Nissan and Mitsubishi have distanced themselves since his initial incarceration.
