Tokyo prosecutors prepare to arrest Carlos Ghosn on a fresh claim of understating his earning, the Sankei newspaper reported on Tuesday, in a move that could keep the former chairman of Nissan Motor in detention until the end of this year.
Ghosn has been detained in Tokyo since his November 19 arrest on suspicion of conspiring with former Nissan Representative Director Greg Kelly to understate his compensation by about half of the actual 10 billion yen ($88 million), for five years from 2010. Tokyo officials on Friday extended their detention until the maximum December 10 for the alleged crime.
Mentioning unnamed sources, the Sankei daily stated prosecutors prepare to arrest Ghosn and Kelly on December 10 for the same crime covering the period from 2015 to 2017, during which the suspects supposedly understated Ghosn’s income by about 4 billion yen. If officials approve the maximum detention for that case, Ghosn and Kelly would remain in custody until December 30, the paper noted.
The Tokyo prosecutors’ office refused to comment discuss the report.
Ghosn has been unable to answer the allegations, which public broadcaster NHK has stated he has refused.
In Japan, crime suspects can be kept in custody for 10 days and that can be increased for another 10 days if a judge grants prosecutors’ request for extension. At the end of that duration, prosecutors must submit an official charge or let the suspect go.
However, they can also arrest suspects for a separate crime, in that case the process starts over again. This procedure can be repeated, sometimes keeping suspects detained for months without official charges and without bail.
