TOKYO -- Tokyo prosecutors indicted ousted Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn on two additional charges on Friday, further complicating the legal battle facing the jailed auto executive.
Ghosn's defense lawyers said they will still seek his release on bail despite the new charges. Prosecutors said that Ghosn’s detention could last for another two months.
The first of the two new indictments alleges that Ghosn temporarily shifted personal securities losses to Nissan, in a special breach of trust case. As part of the charge, prosecutors also claim Ghosn then arranged for Nissan to pay an associate who helped him with the red ink.
The second of the new indictments is related to an earlier indictment handed down Dec. 10. It accuses Ghosn, fellow director Greg Kelly and Nissan as a company of falsifying securities filings by under-reported Ghosn’s compensation in the fiscal years 2015-2017.
Prosecutors earlier said they suspect his remuneration was under-reported by some by some 4 billion (37 million) during that period. On Dec. 10, prosecutors indicted all three for allegedly not reporting 4.9 billion yen ($45.3 million) in deferred compensation in the 2010-2014 fiscal years.
Kelly is embroiled in those indictments as an alleged accomplice who set up the scheme. Kelly’s lawyers have denied American executive did anything wrong.
The second indictment for Kelly comes as no surprise as it merely makes what was a five-year period for the first into eight years," said Kelly's lawyer Yoichi Kitamura. He said he expects Ghosn and Kelly to be tried together on the two charges and that he will work closely with Ghosn's legal team to prepare for the trial.
Ghosn denied all the charges against him at a Tuesday court hearing, his first public appearance since being detained Nov. 19 with Kelly. “I have been wrongly accused and unfairly detained based on meritless and unsubstantiated accusations,” Ghosn told the court in a calm controlled voice. “I have always acted with integrity and have never been accused of any wrongdoing in my several-decade professional career.”