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AFP
Tokyo
Former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn could spend another six months behind bars before his case comes to trial, his lawyer said Tuesday.
In his first public appearance since his arrest in November rocked the business world, Ghosn told a Tokyo court Tuesday he had been “wrongly accused and unfairly detained”.
But he appears unlikely to win release anytime soon, as Japan allows prosecutors to seek lengthy pre-trial detention as well as further detention periods to investigate allegations even before pressing charges.
His lawyer said it would be “very difficult” to win bail and it could be months before his case is heard.
“I believe it could be considered that at least six months will be needed before being able to go to the first trial,” Motonari Otsuru said, citing the complexity of the case and the fact that the documents involved are in both Japanese and English.
Appearing in the Tokyo District Court handcuffed with a rope around his waist, Ghosn earlier mounted a passionate defence against a string of financial misconduct allegations. The 64-year-old was thinner -- his family says he has lost up to 20 kilogrammes (44 pounds) due to the rice-based diet in his Tokyo detention centre -- and his hair was greying.
He appeared in a dark suit without a tie and wore plastic slippers.
“I have been wrongly accused and unfairly detained based on meritless and unsubstantiated accusations,” the once-revered titan of the auto industry told the court in a clear and steady voice.
Tokyo
Former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn could spend another six months behind bars before his case comes to trial, his lawyer said Tuesday.
In his first public appearance since his arrest in November rocked the business world, Ghosn told a Tokyo court Tuesday he had been “wrongly accused and unfairly detained”.
But he appears unlikely to win release anytime soon, as Japan allows prosecutors to seek lengthy pre-trial detention as well as further detention periods to investigate allegations even before pressing charges.
His lawyer said it would be “very difficult” to win bail and it could be months before his case is heard.
“I believe it could be considered that at least six months will be needed before being able to go to the first trial,” Motonari Otsuru said, citing the complexity of the case and the fact that the documents involved are in both Japanese and English.
Appearing in the Tokyo District Court handcuffed with a rope around his waist, Ghosn earlier mounted a passionate defence against a string of financial misconduct allegations. The 64-year-old was thinner -- his family says he has lost up to 20 kilogrammes (44 pounds) due to the rice-based diet in his Tokyo detention centre -- and his hair was greying.
He appeared in a dark suit without a tie and wore plastic slippers.
“I have been wrongly accused and unfairly detained based on meritless and unsubstantiated accusations,” the once-revered titan of the auto industry told the court in a clear and steady voice.
