Ghosn's Bail Petition Rejected, Wife Slams Treatment
For detained industry titan Carlos Ghosn, getting out of the slammer has thus far proven an insurmountable challenge. Interned in a Tokyo jail since his Nov. 19 arrest, the Renault CEO and former Nissan chairman has repeatedly seen his bail appeals fall on deaf ears, with past indictments squashing previous hopes for release.
On Tuesday, a Tokyo judge denied his most recent appeal, despite Ghosn offering up nearly everything in return.
For Ghosn and his lawyers, it was the second rejected appeal in the space of a week. To secure his release, Ghosn offered to wear an electronic ankle bracelet, hike his bail sum, put up his Nissan stock holdings as collateral, and hand over his passports, but that wasn’t enough to satisfy the powers that be.
Now, it appears Ghosn might reside in his spartan Tokyo cell until March.
In a statement cited by CNBC, Ghosn wrote, “I want to emphasize that I will reside in Japan and respect any and all bail conditions the Court concludes are warranted. I will attend my trial not only because I am legally obligated to do so, but because I am eager to finally have the opportunity to defend myself. I am not guilty of the charges against me and I look forward to defending my reputation in the courtroom; nothing is more important to me or to my family.”
While he awaits trial, saddled with charges of improper financial disclosure and breach of trust, Ghosn isn’t allowed to have direct contact with his family. Only embassy officials, lawyers, and prosecutors can visit. As with past appeals, the worry was that Ghosn might tamper with evidence in the ongoing investigation.
Jail conditions in Japan single out no one for special treatment, and the executive appeared gaunt during a court hearing earlier this month. As The Japan Times reports, suspects who plead innocence, as Ghosn has, face what’s described as “hostage justice.”
In response to Ghosn’s jail conditions, his wife, Carole Ghosn, recently appealed to Human Rights Watch, citing unfair treatment.
“For hours each day, the prosecutors interrogate him, browbeat him, lecture him, and berate him, outside the presence of his attorneys, in an effort to extract a confession. No human being should be detained under conditions so harsh that their only plausible purpose is to coerce a confession,” she stated.
[Image: Nissan]
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In Japan if you run a company like Mary Barra and Jim Hackett you go to jail. This may explain why you almost never see Japanese companies either downsize or outsource. Ghosn is basically a political prisoner being punished for his corporate philosophy.
After visiting several different countries with the several very different cultures over a 20+ year period I have little sympathy for Carlos Ghosn. In many countries in Asia outsiders are always and will be forever outsiders. That fact can never, ever be forgotten by anyone visiting or working in one of these countries. I seriously doubt that Mr. Ghosn had no clue that he had crossed some line somewhere - he undoubtedly knew of some sort of thin-ice under his feet but thought himself far above any negative effects due to his rather lofty position. In Japan he is gaijin much as American executives in Japanese manufacturing facilities are in the US. Here they are tolerated and moved around/out under US prevailing law. The difference is, as he has sadly discovered, in Japan he is at the tender mercies of Japanese customs/laws and finds himself in a bad spot. Doesn't make this wrong - other countries have the right to govern as they see fit. Regardless of the details of his alleged transgressions which may or may not be of concern in countries outside Japan, these alleged transgressions were of concern in Japan and are being handled under Japanese law. In fewer words, it sucks being him and shame on him - he should have known better.