Former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn’s “illegal” arrest has interrupted his treatment for chronic kidney failure, which Ghosn suffers from as a result of treatment for high cholesterol, his defense stated in documents observed by Reuters on Thursday.
Ghosn’s defense team, in documents prepared after Ghosn was arrested for the fourth time by Tokyo prosecutors last week – and the details of which have not been reported earlier – allege the recent arrest was designed to interrupt the defense’s preparation and force a confession.
Tokyo prosecutors refused to comment when contacted by Reuters.
Prosecutors re-arrested Ghosn last Thursday at his Tokyo residence where he had been residing since his release on $9 million bail, returning him to the detention center where he spent over 100 days.
Officials arrested Ghosn on suspicion of enriching himself at a cost of $5 million to Nissan, having already charged him for financial misbehavior.
Ghosn has rejected all allegations against him and maintains that he was the victim of a boardroom coup.
“This arrest is illegal,” the defense stated in one of the documents, dated April 5, the day after the re-arrest.
Ghosn has high cholesterol and, as a result of treatment, suffers from chronic kidney failure and rhabdomyolysis, the defense stated. Rhabdomyolysis results from the death of muscle fibers and release of their contents into the bloodstream.
Interrupting his care for the “convenience of prosecutors’ investigation” was “inhuman”, the defense stated.