Auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn could soon be freed on bail after a Japanese court Thursday rejected prosecutors’ request to extend his detention, in a move nearly as unexpected as his sudden arrest.
The 64-year-old car boss has been in a Japanese detention centre since his arrest on November 19 for alleged financial misconduct sent shockwaves through the business world.
But in another stunning development, the Tokyo District Court said prosecutors had filed a bid to extend his detention on December 20, but it was “rejected”.
This paved the way for a potential release as early as Friday, according to public broadcaster NHK.
Ghosn’s lawyers are expected to request bail while prosecutors will appeal the court decision, according to local news agency Jiji Press.
Prosecutors had formally charged him on December 10 with financial misconduct for allegedly under-declaring his income by some five billion yen ($44 million) between 2010 and 2015.
At the same time, they re-arrested him on suspicion of also under-reporting his income by a further four billion yen over the past three years. He has not formally been charged over this allegation.
Ghosn’s detention threw the spotlight on the Japanese legal system where suspects can be held for long periods.
He is being held in a one-man cell in a detention centre in northern Tokyo measuring just three tatami mats — around five square metres (54 square feet) — a far cry from the lavish lifestyle that previously attracted criticism.
Ghosn has told embassy visitors he is being well treated but has complained of the winter cold and the rice-based food.
Nevertheless, sources at French car giant Renault describe his frame of mind as “combative” as he fights the charges against him.
